Social Development: Minister's Budget Vote Speech & Responses by ANC, DA and IFP

Briefing

08 May 2013

Minister of Social Development , Ms Bathabile Dlamini , gave her Budget Vote Speech on the 08 May 2013

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Honourable Chairperson,
Honourable Deputy Minister, Mama Bongi Maria Ntuli,
MECs of Social Development here present,
Honourable Members of Parliament,
Distinguished guests,
Ladies and gentlemen,

It is with great humility that I rise to present Budget Vote 19 in this august house. The budget I am presenting today builds on the strong foundation we have laid to date, towards a fully democratic and an inclusive society envisioned in the Freedom Charter.

This budget, which is the last in the current administration before the next general elections in 2014, focuses on the journey we have traversed since 2009 and on the work we will undertake over the MTEF period.

The budget takes its cue from the State of the Nation Address and the ANC's 53rd National Conference held in Mangaung in 2012 and it is presented under the theme: “Protecting and Optimising Development Outcomes for South Africa’s Children.”

In line with this theme, we have invited caregivers from Khayelitsha and a group from child-headed households, who are seated in the public gallery.

I would like to extend a very warm welcome to them, and I look forward to meeting and engaging with them this afternoon and in the coming days. Chairperson, this Budget is presented against the backdrop of landmark developments that have given fresh impetus to the work of the social sector and government as a whole.

In December 2012, the 53rd National Conference of the ANC adopted the National Development Plan (Vision 2030) to guide united action by all South Africans. The ANC sees the NDP as a common planning framework that will enable us to consolidate our democratic gains and continue to build an inclusive society.

Honourable Members, since 1994, we have embarked on an extensive programme to attack poverty on all fronts. Numerous institutions, amongst them, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) acknowledged the notable progress we have made.

Today, unlike under the apartheid regime, all our children, black and white, from the young girl in Muyexe, Limpopo, to the teenage girl in uMsinga, KwaZulu-Natal, have access to educational opportunities and a social safety net.

The social assistance programme, now reaches over sixteen million beneficiaries. I must emphasise that eleven million of these beneficiaries are children, having started from a very low base of about 30 000 in 1998 when the Child Support Grant was introduced. These considerable achievements can be attributed to the extension of social security coverage to previously excluded and marginalised groups in line with the Constitution.

By putting money directly in the hands of the poor, particularly women, we have empowered them to make positive life choices that have improved the lives of South African children, particularly on important matters such as improved nutrition, better educational outcomes, healthcare and activation of job-seeking behaviour. 

These solidarity based policies, ensured that the impact of the ongoing global economic melt-down and financial crisis was less severe in South Africa.

While more work remains to be done, particularly, to address inequality in our society, I am confident that the measures and plans in this Budget Vote represent a solid foundation upon which to consolidate further momentum and success.

This year, the department received a budget of One Hundred and Twenty Billion Rand. Of this amount, One Hundred and Thirteen Billion Rand is allocated for the payment of social assistance grants, which comprise 93 percent of the total budget allocation.

Chairperson, at the beginning of our term of office in 2009, President Jacob Zuma said:

“For as long as there are children who do not have the means nor the opportunity to receive a decent education; we shall not rest, and we dare not falter, in our drive to eradicate poverty."

Pursuant to this commitment, and as part of our quest to fight the root causes of poverty, in particular intergenerational poverty, we identified the provision of Early Childhood Development (ECD) as key to our success towards achieving Vision 2030 goal. 

The adoption of the first 1000 days campaign by the ANC demonstrates a serious political commitment to optimise the development outcomes for millions of our children. This will ensure that we focus on the most critical period of a child’s life, beginning with the mother’s pregnancy to the age of two years.

In 2010, we committed ourselves to expand the coverage of ECD services. Many of the changes we promised have since been implemented. To date, over nine hundred thousand children benefit from this programme and we are on course to deliver on our mandate to provide universal ECD services by 2014.

Following the diagnostic review report and the resolutions of the ECD conference held in 2012, we have approved a five-year integrated programme of action, which identified the urgent need to improve rural infrastructure, human resource capacity, a new comprehensive funding model, and amendment of the Children’s Act. Accordingly, we will finalise a national policy, which will define the ECD service package and make it a public good.

Consistent with the theme of this budget, I am pleased to inform this house about the new partnership with the Department of Communication to roll out the information communication technology strategy, targeting fourty ECD sites in rural areas this year. 

In line with our target of 10 000 Child and Youth Care Workers over five years, I am also pleased to announce that we have recruited 3 150 Child and Youth Care Workers from local communities and have begun with the training programme for the roll out of the Isibindi Model in 260 sites.

Chairperson, in May last year, I outlined plans to roll out the new biometric-based payment solution for social grants. As part of the transition to the system, we embarked on a national campaign to re-register all grant beneficiaries. Today, I am pleased to report that a total of 20,7 million people have been successfully re-registered into the new system.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all beneficiaries who heeded our call for their cooperation in ensuring a seamless transition to the new system.   SASSA will implement this programme in accordance with the provisions of the Promotion of Access to Administrative Justice Act (Act No. 3 of 2000). I would also like to assure all South Africans that no qualifying beneficiaries will have their grants cancelled.

To assist us in this regard, I urge all beneficiaries who have not re-registered to visit their local SASSA offices to respond to the letters we have sent to them.  I also want to ask you honourable members, to please help us to spread the message in your constituencies. Just a year after its implementation, we are already witnessing the positive spin-offs of the new biometric payment solution. For example, through beneficiaries approaching SASSA, over a hundred and fifty thousand social grants were cancelled. This has led to a saving of One Hundred and Fifty Million Rand per annum.

Chairperson, in 2010 I promised to root out fraud and corruption in the social security system. We are delivering on this promise. During the financial year 2012/13, we have registered about seven thousand seven hundred cases of fraud. More than fifty five percent of these cases have been finalised and closed.

In an effort to clamp down on unscrupulous micro lenders who exploit social grant beneficiaries, SASSA will not be processing any other deductions, except for funeral deductions that do not exceed ten percent of the value of the grant in line with regulations. Once again, I would like to appeal to all social grant beneficiaries that they must not give their SASSA cards and pin codes to micro lenders.

Chairperson, it is worth pointing out that the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA), in a unanimous decision, overruled the decision of the North Gauteng High Court which found that the awarding of the social grants payment tender to Cash Paymaster Services was “illegal and invalid”.

The SCA dismissed the highly publicised allegations of corruption and irregularities which were granted prominence by an all-too-negative segment of the media. The losing bidder has now made an application to the Constitutional Court to set aside the ruling of the SCA. We are opposing this application as there is no merit to their case. We remain determined in our resolve to ensure that no vulnerable person is denied access to their grants due to unnecessary legal challenges.

While celebrating these successes, we cannot be complacent and think our job is done. Honourable Members, INDE LENDLELA ESIYIHAMBAYO.  I will be appointing a Ministerial Advisory Committee that will investigate and advise me on the best payment options for Social Security.

Another important task in this regard, will be to address the identified policy gaps in relation to the old age grant. The administration of the means test for the old age grant in its current form has the unintended consequences of penalising senior citizens who have saved for their retirement.

Chairperson, in so far as the Old Age Grant is concerned, 2013 will go down in the history of our country as a memorable year. In February this year during the Budget Speech, the Minister of Finance announced for the first time, plans by this government to phase out the means test for the old age grant by 2016.

This is indeed a watershed moment and a giant leap forward in our quest to ensure a secure and dignified retirement for our senior citizens. The universalisation of the Old Age Grant will be a fitting tribute to the memories of the late Mama Winkie Direko, Father Elliot Mgojo and Tom Boya, who all campaigned long and hard over the past years for this cause.

As part of honouring our promise to promote and protect the rights of all our senior citizens, I am pleased to inform this house that the President's Coordinating Council has endorsed our proposal for the establishment of Older Persons Desk in the Offices of Premiers in all provinces. 

We believe that every senior citizen deserves a secure, healthy, and a dignified life. For this reason, we strongly condemn unwarranted acts of violence and abuse against our senior citizens. 

Let me take this opportunity to convey my profound regrets and dismay on the tragic loss of life Ms Elimina Mbhele who lost her life during the attack at a SASSA pay-point at Lindelani, in KwaZulu-Natal.

Chairperson, we attach great importance to the contributions of older persons, to national development, particularly in the context of nation building, promoting social cohesion, strengthening families and caring for orphans and vulnerable children. For this reason, we welcome the recent ruling of the South Gauteng High Court which gave clarity that grandparents who care for their grandchildren are eligible for foster care grants.

This will go a long way to providing them with the much-needed financial support to undertake their caregiving role. In turn, this will facilitate educational access and achievement for orphans and vulnerable children, as well as improve health outcomes, for children under the care of older persons.

Research tells us that families are the building blocks of a strong, stable, and cohesive society. The White Paper on Families aims to bring a seamless approach in the provision of services to families, with a particular focus on early intervention and family support services. We recognise that without strong and resilient families, our goal to build safer and non-violent communities will come to nothing.  

Chairperson, we will not rest until we succeed in our mission to ensure that all people in South Africa are and feel safe. In particular, we must eradicate violence against women and girls in our country.

To address this scourge, we have established an Inter-Ministerial Committee on violence against women and children. A Programme of Action on the elimination of violence against women and children anchored on prevention and protection, response, care and support, will be presented to Cabinet this year.

Working together with the National Council on Gender-Based Violence, civil society organisations and the business sector, the IMC is mobilising all sections of the South African society, to join hands to combat this social ill. In this regard, I wish to commend the recent men’s dialogue convened by Deputy President, Kgalema Motlanthe which pledged to mobilise millions of men to fight violence against women and girls.

Chairperson, there is a recognised link between violence against women and children and alcohol and substance abuse. Last year when I addressed this house, I informed you about the work of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Anti-Substance Abuse. The IMC approved the Draft Control of Marketing of Alcohol Beverages Bill early in February this year. Key amongst others, the Bill aims to restrict the marketing and promotion of alcoholic beverages, and will be presented to Cabinet this year before public consultations.

Other matters that the IMC will finalise this year include measures to enhance law enforcement such as reductions in the hours of sale of alcohol, substance abuse workplace interventions, as well as a proposal that a person who has consumed alcohol should not drive a vehicle at all. 

We have appointed new members of the Board of the Central Drug Authority (CDA) to ensure implementation of the National Drug Master Plan (2013-2017), which will be presented to Cabinet for approval before the end of this month.

Honourable members, each one of these measures is a step towards reducing the heavy health, social, and economic burden of alcohol and substance abuse in our country.

Honourable members, former President, Nelson Mandela said, “overcoming poverty is not a gesture of charity; but an act of justice.” In response to this call, the 53rd National Conference of the ANC resolved that we must move with speed to implement the Household Nutrition and Food Security Strategy this year. We have made significant progress since the launch of the Food for All campaign in 2011.

In partnership with FoodBank South Africa, we have to date distributed food supplies to over three hundred and seventy thousand beneficiaries every month. We have set up thirty three Community Nutrition and Development Centres in all nine provinces. This includes revitalising centres that were previously closed down by the Democratic Alliance government in the Western Cape province.
To demonstrate our commitment, we have set aside One Hundred and Twenty Million Rand over the MTEF period to expand this intervention.

As part of the department’s extension of its work on disability and assisting people with special needs, we will commence interventions in the two highly neglected areas of autism and albinism. Many children and young people in our country who have these conditions and special needs remain without assistance from government.

With this budget, we continue our determination to recruit and retain more social work professionals. As part of our endeavours to increase access to quality services and to deal effectively with various social problems, we have awarded financial assistance to eight thousand five hundred and sixty nine social work students. 

In the current financial year alone, we have awarded  bursaries to two thousand and thirty seven students. The budget allocation for the social work scholarship programme grew steadily from 50 Million Rand in 2007 to 250 million Rand in the current financial year.

I am pleased to announce that we have approved the provincial implementation plans to absorb all newly-qualified social work graduates. 

Honourable members, government’s mid-term review report showed that while much progress has been made since 2009, implementation of policies remains a key challenge, particularly at service delivery level. To address this, the Department of Social Development together with SASSA and NDA will embark on a nationwide frontline service delivery improvement initiative, focusing on the poorest wards in the country. This will be a face to face engagement with people in municipalities so that we can jointly determine the nature and quality of the services we deliver.

Chairperson and Honourable members, this budget provides an opportunity to accelerate our march towards Vision 2030. We recognise and commend the selfless and dedicated contributions of community-based organisations, faith-based organisations and Non-Governmental Organisations in the many aspects of social development service delivery. Indeed, we view all these organisations as full partners in the work we do.

I would like to conclude by expressing my deepest gratitude to my colleague and comrade, Mama Bongi Maria Ntuli, and all MECs for their enduring support and outstanding contribution. In addition, I extend my sincere appreciation to the former Director-General, Mr Vusi Madonsela, for the excellent contribution he made to the Department of Social Development for over a decade. I also congratulate Mr Coceko Pakade on his appointment as the Director-General of the Department of Social Development.

Finally, I express my gratitude to the CEO of SASSA, Ms Virginia Petersen, CEO of the NDA, Dr Vuyelwa Nhlapo and Chairperson and members of the NDA Board, Special Advisors and all members of the DSD family for their hard work dedicated to the service of our people.

It now gives me pleasure to invite you to support Budget Vote 19.

I thank you.

Speech by the Deputy Minister of Social Development, The Honourable Bongi Maria Ntuli MP, on the cccasion of the Department of Social Development Budget Vote 19 to the National Assembly at the Old Assembly in Cape Town

8 May 2013

Honourable Chairperson,
Minister of Social Development, The Honourable Bathabile Dlamini MP,
Honourable Members of Parliament,
MECs for Social Development,
Representatives of civil society
Distinguished guests,
Ladies and gentlemen,

Good morning.

Seventeen years ago on this day, 8 May, the National Assembly first adopted The Republic of South Africa Constitution Bill, ushering in an era of a human rights centred approach for our country. I am proud to state that Honourable Minister Dlamini and I, as serving Members of Parliament in 1996 was part of that process and voted in favour of the most progressive constitution in the world.

Therefore holding dear the values enshrined in the Constitution of this beloved country I ask that you join me in support of Budget Vote 19 of the Department of Social Development. Let us keep our promise and remain determined to deliver on the legitimate expectations and aspirations of our people.

Honourable Members, the ultimate goal of government’s social development strategy is to improve the quality of life of all South Africans. Budget Vote 19 reaffirms the commitment of this government to build a South Africa that cares for all those who are vulnerable, including children, youth, people with disabilities and senior citizens.

With this budget, government will continue to support initiatives that seek to strengthen community development, provide opportunities for youth and contribute to national efforts to prevent and mitigate the pscho-social impact of HIV/AIDS.

Chairperson, over the last years it has become clear to us that a new approach to community development is required to truly improve the lives of our people as envisaged in our Constitution.

Former President Nelson Mandela once said: “fundamental to the success of all our efforts at reconstruction and development is community action and participation”.

For this reason, we intensified the campaign to “Take Social Development to communities”, with particular focus on rural communities where the need for government services remain high.

The success of this approach can be seen in inspiring stories like that of Ngobi village in the North West Province. Together with its entities, the department has brought much-needed services to this village and the people of Ngobi are reclaiming their lives by participating in their own development.

Another successful initiative worth a mention is Bana ba Kgwale project in Jericho, also in North West Province. From its humble beginnings, the project today supplies fresh vegetables to major retailers and also donates their products to local schools.

These initiatives are just an indication of how much we can achieve when communities are empowered to take charge of their own development.

Honourable Members, as per the commitment we made to this august house last year, we embarked on the Kwanda Talk programme in partnership with Soul City, Seriti Institute and the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) to promote active citizenry and give voice to communities.

We are privileged to have participated in this initiative because it promotes citizen participation, action and leadership at community level. The most important lesson we have learnt through this initiative is that given the necessary support , local communities are capable of resolving their own development challenges and therefore be instrumental in every development initiative.

Community development requires passionate and knowledgeable people. In this regard, we will continue to train community development practitioners in areas of integrated development planning to ensure that social development services are not neglected at local municipal level.

Honourable Members, we will continue to strengthen our interventions in preventing the spread and mitigation of the HIV and AIDS epidemic on individuals, households and communities. This is part of our contribution to the National Strategic Plan on HIV and AIDS, Sexually Transmitted Infections and Tuberculosis (2012-2016).

With regard to prevention, an amount of forty eight million rand has been allocated to love Life to implement prevention programmes targeting young people including those in rural and farming areas. This will assist with sustaining our national prevention efforts.

In addition, we will strengthen the implementation of Home Community Based Care (HCBC) programmes, especially the provision of psychosocial support services and the roll out of the monitoring and evaluation system.

To date, we have expanded HCBC services to over three hundred and seventy thousand vulnerable households, benefitting four hundred and fifty thousand orphans and vulnerable children, including twenty five thousand youth headed households.

Honourable chairperson, a number of research publications state that young people constitute the majority of South Africa’s population. The youth bulge represents both a challenge and an opportunity for South Africa.

The National Development Plan (Vision 2030) advocates for the prioritisation of policies that will improve the capacities and life chances of our country’s youthful population.

During December last year, we hosted the first national youth leadership camp in the Free State with young people from across South Africa. The camp gave young people a unique opportunity to interact and learn from their peers and also to shape their own lives.

We aim to reach over ten thousand young people through the youth clubs and national youth leadership camps over the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) period.

The recent conference of the Social Sector Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) emphasised the need to implement the EPWP beyond the 2014 deadline. In pursuit of government’s priority to create decent employment opportunities, we aim to contribute to the target of two hundred and fifty five thousand job opportunities for this sector, during this budget period.

Honourable Members, we have seen an increased demand for the registration of Non-Profit Organisations with an average rate of fourteen percent per annum. This number has ballooned to over one hundred and five thousand by the end of April this year.

In recognition of the role of the Non-Profit Organisation (NPO) sector, we hosted a series of provincial dialogues which culminated in a national summit in August last year. The Summit adopted a number of key resolutions relating to the NPO sector. These are the legislative and regulatory framework, transformation of welfare services sector, funding and resource mobilisation, capacity building and partnerships.

The Summit also resolved that government must commit and create an environment which will focus on training and development. This commitment means that NPOs entrusted with the responsibility of training and development, must contribute towards capacity building of other emerging organisations.

Pursuant to the outcomes of the Summit, a Ministerial Task Team which consists of representatives of government and the NPO sector was established. To its credit, the Task Team has finalised the Plan of Action which was approved by MINMEC last month. Over the MTEF period, a key focus will be on creating efficiencies in NPO registration and on investigating the feasibility of establishing a regulatory body for NPOs.

The National Development Agency (NDA) has been allocated an amount of one hundred and eighty six million Rand over the MTEF period for capacity building. The focus will be on provision of management services for poverty eradication projects at national, provincial and local levels of government as well as the private sector.


Honourable Members at the beginning of this year a large number of NPOs were de-registered due to non-compliance with the NPO Act. Minister Dlamini intervened and gave the NPOs a grace period in order to comply with regulations. The majority of these organisations provide much-needed services with a particular bias to organisations in rural communities.

Honourable members, the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) Programme of Action remain a blueprint in the implementation of the South African Population Policy. In this year during which we celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Cairo Consensus, we will continue to work with academic institutions and civil society organisations to enhance our country‘s capacity in the field of population and development. In this regard, we will conduct twelve capacity building and training sessions this year.

As part of these measures, I am pleased to announce that we have awarded twenty one bursaries to undergraduate students in population studies at the North West and Walter Sisulu Universities respectively. An additional twenty nine bursaries will be awarded in the last quarter of this financial year.

Honourable Chairperson, the National Population Unit of the Department of Social Development will for the first time complete, a comprehensive study on factors associated with teenage pregnancies in all nine provinces this year.

The Unit is also working in collaboration with the National Youth Development Agency and other departments, notably Women, Children and People with Disabilities and Health to finalise a framework strategy on Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights for consideration by Cabinet. We are looking forward to the findings of these studies as they are at the centre of our national efforts to accelerate the implementation of youth-friendly services, comprehensive sexuality and life skills education.

Honourable Members, my heartfelt appreciation to my colleague and comrade, The Honourable Minister Bathabile Dlamini, Members of the Executive Committee for Social Development, Members of the Portfolio Committee, the Director-General , Special Advisors, the CEOs of SASSA and NDA and all the staff of the Department of Social Development and Public Entities in their respective units and provinces for the positive contribution they have made to our work. A special word of thanks to Mr Paul Ramapuputla from my office who will be retiring at the end of this month after serving the public service diligently for 24 years.

Honourable Members, I ask that you support Budget Vote 19.

I thank you.

 

Speech by Hon Fikile Khumalo during National Assembly Debate on Budget Vote 19: Social Development

Debate on Social Development in the National Assembly by Ms Fikile Khumalo (ANC MP)
Chairperson, nobody can run from the fact that until the ANC took leadership, there was total neglect of the social services related to elderly people, early childhood development, gender-based violence and substance related issues in our country.

Chairperson, under the leadership of President Jacob Zuma in government and in the ANC, the Department of Social Development has made a great deal of progress in respect of advancing the rights and status of older persons in our society.

A key mechanism for recognising our older people is through the development of pieces of legislation that are aimed at creating a better life for vulnerable and older persons.

We also condemn the abuse of older persons, particularly sexual violence against grannies by men in their own families and communities. This behaviour has been reported in desolate and rural communities that were neglected and became breeding grounds for perverse behaviour.

As a result, the ANC government has pledged to build police stations, hospitals, human settlements, roads, and businesses in order to establish decent and sustainable communities where women and the elderly are safe and secure.

Through its commitment to social cohesion and building a sense of belonging, the Older Persons Act places an obligation on the Department of Social Development to lead the vision of the ANC by providing care and related services to the elderly in our society.

As with all budgets responsible for social transformation, more resources always need to be allocated to the Department to address the changing scope of society and the increasing responsibility carried by the Department.

As Parliamentarians, we have gone a long way in guiding the implementation of legislation whilst raising awareness in provinces about the interventions provided by provinces.

Our senior citizens` clubs, services centres and active ageing programmes are in place and working well in the provinces.

Siyambonga kakhulu uHulumeni oholwa ngu mbutho wabantu omkhulu uAfrican National Congress. Iziwi labantu bethu abadala kufunele lizwakale isithunzi sabo sibuye kweziyne izifundaziwe uHulumeni ka Khongolose uhlalise iPalamende Labantu abadala lapho bathole nethuba lokukhuluma no Mongameli wezwe uBaba uNxamalala bekhuluma ngezifo ezibathinta nqgo nezi bakathazayo ezimpilweni zabo.

The Department has for the past 2 years in collaboration with the South African Older Person`s Forum organised a senior citizens conference where 1500 senior citizens from all provinces participated, but also shared with the Minister issues affecting them.

The President has pronounced for the establishment of the Older Person`s Desk at the Presidency and in all Premier Offices in provinces. The required resources and personnel and budget will be made available for this task.

On the question of Early Childhood Development, Tatu Mandela said that "There can be no keener revelation of a society`s soul than the way in which it treats its children."

We know historically that children, particularly Black children were not supported by the state because of stereotypical beliefs about African culture, Ubuntu and community spirit, forgetting the deprivation and squalor people were forced to live in. Hence, the apartheid government refused to invest in infrastructure for all vulnerable groups that were African.

This is why the ANC has sought to broaden the definition of ECD to include support for parenting, special needs children, among others. This is because we understand that there are serious human development challenges in poor, rural and urban communities. Through developing a new ECD policy framework, the Department of Social Development will be able to address the barriers to children`s development.

When we come to the subject of gender-based violence, the ANC has made a name for itself as one of the most progressive in this domain.

We have vowed in our 53rd National Conference Resolutions to discourage and outlaw practices that are oppressive and abusive towards women.

Across all racial and cultural groups, women are the ones who are forced to leave their homes because of gender-based violence. The 24 hour help line services provided by the Department of Social Development will raise the number of violent incidents reported by women and will provide a practical intervention to dealing with a problem that was exacerbated by an historical lack of infrastructure and services for services long before democracy.

The Social Development budget is one which is also going to cover many other infrastructure projects, particularly those that will go towards the fight against substance abuse.

President Jacob Zuma did a wonderful thing by promulgating the Prevent of and Treatment for Substance Abuse Act. This makes prevention of substance abuse a priority and advocates for the establishment of state treatment facilities in each province. This is unprecedented considering that there are now more rehabilitation efforts in the country under the ANC than ever before.

Programmes like Ke Moja, a drug awareness campaign, Lovelife and others have assisted the education and awareness raising profile of the Department. The programme is successfully implemented in provinces such as the Northern Cape, Gauteng, Free State, Mpumalanga, the North West and Limpopo were between 5400 to 50 000 NGOs have been involved.

Chairperson, without deviating from the excellent programmes initiated by the ANC, gender-based violence is a symptom of a deeply divided society, one which reflects the patriarchal nature of that society.

Other sectors of society still do not follow the lead of the ANC which condemns violence against women.

In conclusion, Chairperson, the ANC has been able to demonstrate through the Department of Social Development that the institutional building blocks for equality and social cohesion in South Africa are in place.

The ANC supports the vote. Thank you
Speech by Hon Yolanda Botha during the National Assembly Debate on Social Development

Debate on Social Development Budget Vote in the National Assembly by Ms Yolanda Botha (ANC MP - Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Social Development)
Honorable House chairperson
Honorale minister and deputy minister of social development
Ministers present
Honorable members
Members of the executive councils of provinces
Cdes and friends

We are gathered here today to debate vote 19 that is social development and its entities.now as the minister mentioned it is quite a substantial budget money wise but also crucial for the wellbeing and developmental needs of society since the budget of the department is focused on the adressing poverty, unemployment, inequality and other social problems that are plagueing our society and country.

Since the vision of the department is to provide through a caring and intergrated system services that facilitates human development and improve the quality of live of all especially vulnerable South Africans we as parliament have to ensure that this indeed do happen.

Agbare voorsitter, dus is dit a spesiale dag vir suid-afrinaners want ons gabba en debateer oor geld wat na die armstes van die armes gaan- dus nou maatskaplike toelaes of welsyn soos dit in die volksmond bekend staan maar ook maatskaplike welsynsdienste

Wat die samelewing veral weerbare mans, vroue, kinders, gestremdes en die jeug brood nodig het.

As ons vandag terug dink aan hoe dinge gelyk het in 1994 toe ons aan bewind gekom het en hoe dinge nou lyk wil ek net beaam wat Bokka, `n vrou daar in my kiesafdelings vir my gese het:"yolanda,die regering gee om en dus hoekom ons die vrymoedigheid het om te kom kla want ons weet ons sal gehelp word.maar tog was dit nie `n maklike pad nie.

No journey especially the one called social transformation was and is not easy. We inheriteded a divided society that was grossly unequa l for hundreds of years.Deprivation was rife,Discrimination was entrenched in every level of society, in the workplace, services of goverment, education, home and private life, etc.Sadly there are people that miss the good old days of apartheid, saying it was`nt so bad,Where were they living. Mars? because we were here living in the hell on earth created for us by those that created their own. Nirvana at our expense the majority of south africans.there is another belief that to correct the evils of the past all we have to do is just to give everyone equal opportunities especially those that benefitted for hundreds of years.it doent matter thattheeconmy will then remain in the hands of a few.it doesnt matter that the rich grows richer and the poor stays poor.no mess no fuss.

Dit is oeverblindery.its disgraceful and disrespectful to a a society that has truimphed over great adversity to attain freedom.That is why the ANC remains committedto the idelals

Of the freedom charter to build a society where south africa belongs toall who live in it.black and white...

The attainment of social transformation can only happen if people can lift themselves out of poverty while creating adequate social nets to protect the most vulnerable in our society.for maximum impact we have to persist with comprehensive programmes which deals with poverty, inequality and underdevelopment but it also has in the same breadth also protect and advance the rights of all.

The national development plan forms the foundation of a long term plan to build a national democratic society that is non racial, non sexist and deocratic and united and prosperous.

The portfolio committee have deliberated on budget vote 19 that is the department of social development and its entities and also looked at their strategic plans and operational plans.

The budget of the department consist of five programmes.its a considerable budget.120,7 billion rand is quite substancial.the increase of 7,44percent is noted.99,5percent consist of transferes and subsidies which include the substancial transfer of R113,0 billion for grants.

Without wasting time let me go into the committee`s observations.we concluded that not enough focus is given to programmes dealing with people of disabilities.we feel that it should be part of its priority areas.the department must nensure that its programmes are geared towards the ptotection and rights of people with disabilities.ECD centres fr children with disabilities is still to thinly spread in our communities.we need more day care centers and more aftercare facilities.we need more investment in specialised care for our disabled children and here i would like to emphasise that there should be intentional investment in skills development for disabled youth so that they can participate in our economy and be mainstreamed in all levels of society, government etc.

Comming to the NDA .we were very concerned aout the NDa a few years ago but hulle kry nou hul huis in orde.dinge kom nou bymekaar.the budget of the Nda needs to be increased,its totally inadequate to carry its out mandate.we always complained about its presence in province.now we can see it but vacant posts must be filled timeously.there should be interaction between the minster and the minster of finace to lobby for more money for the NDA.

The capacity building role of npo that the Nda is playing should be strengthened and the have to make sure that npo are compliant.we welcome the presence of advisory centers in provinces.the 171,7million allocated should thus be increased.

We noted that the critical vacancies in the department and raised the fact that it could affect service delivery in the long term.

The capacitation of npos, speeding of their registration, compliance by them etc was another concern for the committee.more focus should be placed on monitoring and e valuation.

We noted that the shortage of soial workers especially with regard to the children act and alo the scholarship programme initiated by the department and the aslo the innovations to make the programme a success.the use and training of social auxillarry workers through lernership should be considered.

The absence of foodbanks in our rural areas ia a concern .the concentrtion of them in urban areas only is a concern .food security initiatives like foodbanks in our rural communities would significantly improve the quality of life of rural communities.

Another concern worth mentioning is the fact that the funding models in provinces differ substantianly from echother and the court challenges under way in the free state .i noted yesterday that the same ngo threatented to o to court again if the subiies to children`s home are not paid etc.Ill will be watching

And following this matter closely.hopefully the finalisation of the financial awards policy will normlise this babelse verwarring.

Coming to the recommendations:the minister should ensure that the youth programmes be rolled out to six othet provinces.these programmes are aimed at empowering our youth to be agents of change etc.

We furthermore recommends that the target of 66 000 socia lworkers be reviewed .we are also awaiting a detailed report on the social work scolarship programme.

The registration, funding and capacitation of ngos especially in rural areas should be prioitised.

We are concernex about the vacant posts at sms level and would like to see it filled.there im happy to see that some of the positions have. Been filled and wish the newly appionted DG well in his new position as well as the DDG, mrs nxumalo.

Coming to sassa we recommend that the implementation of a biometric system for sassa officials should be prioritized.

Dormant accounts should be resolved.

The attempted robbery and shootout at the paypoint at lindelani in kzn was upsetting.especially since it resulteded the death of a pensioner.sassa should ensure that security at paypoints is strenghtened.

The increase in state capacity will ensure that the comprehensive social security strategy of government can be fully implemented.so the fact that social assistance has reduced the poverty gap with 63% is in indication that the provision of social assistace is making a difference in the lives of our people.the provision of CSg to children of school going age have had a positive impact on school attendance coupled with the shool nurtition programme,school uniform assistance makes it virtually impossible for children not to be in school.

Our children is our future, chairperson therefore we have to expand our ECd Programmes, aftercare services and have a special emphasis on childheaded households.child headed house holds should be prioritised because it is wher our youth are forced to be adults through no fault of their own and fend for their siblings.we need to give them hope .beside s pshyco social support we need to give them hope for the future and we will therfore be monitoring the departments efforts to create opportuniteis and jobs for the youth of our country.

We welcome the universalisation of the old age grant .the means test is administratively cumbersome and very expensive.why should we have a phased in approach if we can abolish the hated means test?this will ensure that everyone that is sixty qualify.it means that men and women can now apply on their own for an old age grant increasing household income and increasing social cohesion in communities.we will be saving money on admin cost, staff training and systemsetc.

Looking forward we should consider at the universalisation of the child support grant for all south african children.this will greatly ensure that all children are in school and cared for .children make up 31, 3%of the population of south africa.since the costing has been done on the financial implications .the impact will be Felt immediately in our communities since no deserving child will get excluded.

Lastly let me thank th e staff of the portfolio committee, yollisa, lindiwe, siyavuya and nozuko for their proffesional conduct in supporting the work of the committee over ghe years.thank you for being there to ensure that we carry out our constitutional obligations.youare indeed part of the success of this committee.

I wish to thank to the minister and deputy minister as well as the management of social development and its entities for their co operation and presence at our meetings, for taking us seriously and respecting us.thank you.lets make this financial year an unforgetable one where we achieve all our objectives as committeee and department.

The anc supports budget vote 19.
Speech by Hon Mapule Mafolo during the National Assembly Budget Vote Debate on Social Development

"I have walked that long road to freedom. I have tried not to falter. I have made missteps along the way. But I have discovered the secret that after climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb. I have taken a moment to rest, to steal a view of the glorious vista that surrounds me, to look back on the distance I have come. But I can only rest for a moment, for with freedom come responsibilities, and I dare not linger, for my long walk is not ended" - Nelson Mandela

Honourable members, when the great icon of our liberation struggle, Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, uttered these words many years, he was reflecting on the material conditions of the poor and marginalised at the time. These prophetic words have resonance for our situation today and serve as a clarion call for all of us to march forward with a sense of purpose and stewardship. Indeed, the long walk has not ended.

Chairperson and honourable members, the gallant heroes and heroines of our struggle envisaged a democratic dispensation that will improve the overall quality of life of our people, regardless of the geographic space where they find themselves. They envisioned that all citizens will enjoy the fruits of liberation and would not be called "refugees" in their land of birth. They laid their lives for a united, indivisible South Africa where all citizens will have equal opportunities. They would have indeed frowned upon the new terminology of "professional blacks", which delegitimizes the rights of black people to raise legitimate issues in provinces where they feel unwanted and alienated.

Chairperson and honourable members, there are those amongst us who do not have an experience of going to bed hungry by virtue of their middle class and privileged upbringing. They tell us that the National Development Agency has no business focussing on the issues of food security but offer no credible alternative for the food insecurity problem in our country, particularly in the rural areas. They speak from the vantage point of Stellenbosch and care less about the African child in Muyexe, Giyani; Mncwasa in Elliotdale, uMsinga and Verina in Kwa-Mhlanga.

Chairperson and honourable members, the NDA has a significant role in working with civil society organisations to alleviate poverty in poor communities. In fulfilling this role, the NDA has allocated, from its budget, R186million for the next 3 years to support civil society organisations. In addition, the NDA will mobilise R165million from partners for this purpose over the same period. During the previous financial year, the NDA managed mobilise over R80 million from partnerships with various development partners.

Modulasetulo, go na le bopaki jo bo tletseng jo bo supang gore batlhoki ba dirisa madi a bona a a mokawanyana go reka dijo.Thoto e nosi e kgoloeo batho bao ba dirang ba e fitlhelelang mo metsemagaeng le ke lefatshe. NDA e tsweletse ga jaanong go diragatsa lenaneo le le bidiwang Household and Community Food Security Programme , e le karolo ya etsholo la Food For All Programme. Maitlhomo a lenaneo le, mo gare ga a mangwe ke go :

Go atolosa dijo tse di nang le dikotla mo go di ECD.
Go dira kgolaganobontsi ya batsayakarolo go fokotsa seelo sa tlala mo ditlhopheng tsa batho tseo di nang le matshosetsi a go amiwa ke tlala jaaka e le karolo ya Integrated Food Security Strategy, e leng leano la mmuso.
In 2012/13 alone, the NDA impacted on 3768 beneficiaries of food security programmes. Apart from working with the provincial departments of Social Development, the Agency is working closely with the Department of Agriculture to source capital, expertise and collaboration in project implementation.

Freedom from hunger represents one of the greatest gains of our liberation struggle. We can only rest when the nutritional status of the women and children in Taung , North West; Mbashe in the Eastern Cape and Nkqubela township in Langeberg, Western Cape improve.

And yes honourable members, Western Cape is still part of South Africa. Unfortunately, whilst everybody is talking about increasing the democratic space for critical engagement, the Western Cape government is closing the space for civil society participation in policy formulation. Whilst the country celebrates the ‘social accords’ that have been brokered at NEDLAC, the Western Cape government has dissolved the Provincial Development Council and has reduced funding for progressive organs of civil society. The message that is conveyed to the people of the Western Cape by the Western Cape Government is clear: They do not value partnerships and meaningful consultation for development. They do not recognise the pivotal role of civil society organisations in democratic transformation and therefore careless about their voice in critical matters that affect their lives.

As an Agency of government, the NDA is tasked with the responsibility of strengthening civil society organisations, as an important sector of our society, to deliver services to the poor. The NDA focuses on strengthening the institutional and technical capacity of civil society organisations in South Africa. The institutional capacity strengthening programme uses a combination of training and mentoring to ensure that CSOs are sustainable and effective. The NDA also provides training and support to CSOs to improve their technical skills such as farming and various skills in early childhood development. In the last financial year, the NDA managed to capacitate 223 CSOs benefiting 3 831 members. These CSOs were trained on how to better manage and provide quality services to communities they serve. The Agency also assessed improvements shown by the capacitated CSOs on what they were trained and mentored on, 77% of the CSOs showed significant improvements in their operations. This is undoubtedly a positive result from the NDA capacity building programme.

The major challenge facing the NDA and CSOs is the coverage of the capacity building programme. The resources allocated for this work have not been enough to allow the NDA to increase its coverage. However, the Ministerial Committee (MINMEC), through the leaderships of the Honourable Minister Ms Bathabile Dlamini MP, took a decision that the NDA will work with Provincial Departments of Social Development to capacitate NPOs in all the provinces. Through this directive, the NDA will target 14 371 NPOs in all nine provinces to be provided with training, mentoring and incubation. The targeted NPOs provide social development services in poor and remote areas of South Africa.

Jaaka karolo ya go diragatsa tekolo mo go NDA, Komiti Ya Tiro e dirile dikatlenegiso di le mmalwa tsa setheo tsa go tokafatsa go dira tiro ka manontlhotlho,ka nako le ka tsela eo e bonalang mme e na le tshosometso. Mo go diragatseng dikatlenegiso tse,NDA e okeditse go bonala le go nna mosola ga yona ka go bona mafaratlhatlha a diporofense le go thapa badiri bao ba feleletseng go tokafatsa go fitlhelesega le go tsibogela ditlhokwa tsa batlhoki. Go feta foo,NDA e setse e bone mafelo a kabo ya ditirelo mo nageng mo ngwageng wa matlole wa 2013/14 go kgontsha setšhaba go fitlhelelela tshedimosetso ya tlhabololo ya seloago.

Honourable members and Chairperson, we wish to recognise the significant role that the new board of the NDA and the CEO have played in stabilising the organisation. They have provided much needed strategic leadership and guidance, resulting in better developmental outcomes on the ground. We indeed wish to acknowledge the progressive improvement in the performance of the Agency and derive confidence from the testimonies of the poor and marginalised in various communities who have been touched by its services. As I conclude Chairperson and honourable members, I just want to remind the opposition that, in the words of Cesar Chavez, American Activist and Labour Organizer, "We cannot seek achievement for ourselves and forget about progress and prosperity for our community... Our ambitions must be broad enough to include the aspirations and needs of others, for their sakes and for our own."

Thank you
Mike Waters, Shadow Minister of Social Development 
8 May 2013

Highlights:
6 out of the 8 top managements positions within the Department are still vacant
Funding has been cut to the sub-programmes for Substance Abuse by 18%, Youth by 29%, Older Persons by 33%
The Department reported and admitted that their current policy on the training of Social Workers is a failure and that it will take decades to reach their 66,000 trained Social Workers target.

Speaker, Helen Suzman once said, “I stand for simple justice, equal opportunity and human rights. The indispensable elements in a democratic society - and well worth fighting for.”

Today, the DA’s vision of an Open Opportunity for All encapsulates the values of justice, equal opportunity and human rights.
 
The DA vision is one where people are given equal opportunities in order to better themselves and climb the ladder of prosperity and become whatever they choose to and not remain dependent on the State for their survival. The Department of Social Development has an important role to play in this regard. 

Many South Africans need state assistance and have to interact with the Department and the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) on a monthly basis when they receive their grants. SASSA has embarked on a massive re-registration campaign in order to ensure that all those that should be receiving grants are, and that those that are receiving grants fraudulently are removed from the system. 

By-and-large the results have been positive and the DA supports this venture despite some hiccups. I want to take this opportunity to thank SASSA’s staff for responding to all the queries that I have sent through.
 
I will not talk about the issuing of the R10 billion tender to CPS for the administration of the grants as that is now before High Court, however, once the legal process is complete I will be re-submitting my questions about this controversial tender.
 
Another concern for the DA is that the regulations relating to the application for - and payment of - social assistance are not being properly implemented. 

These regulations place conditions on caregivers to ensure that all children in receipt of a grant attend school and should provide the DG of the Department proof of this within one month of receiving the grant and every six months thereafter.
 
This has not been done.
 
The DG should have been receiving millions of school reports every six months. These conditions should not be seen as punitive but rather as a positive condition in ensuring that all our children attend school. 

We do welcome the recent MOU signed between the Departments of Basic Education and Social Development where the data bases of the two departments will be compared in order to identify any children that are not attending school. If used correctly this information could be pivotal in ensuring all children attend school and do not drop out. 

Speaker the question we should all be asking is why are so many people dependent on grants?

The answer is simple, because of the failed economic policies of this ANC government. There is a direct correlation between our country’s current unemployment crisis and the large amount of people dependent on grants. 
 
It is concerning that 16 million people are indeed dependent of social grants. We do recognise that many families’ only income is from social grants which do help to alleviate poverty, but they do not eradicate poverty.

I want to assure South Africans that the DA will not take away anyone’s pension or child support grant, or any other grant for that matter, when we become the government. This is a lie being spread by a desperate ANC, who clearly do not know how to solve the unemployment crisis facing our country.

In fact, last year the DA-governed Western Cape made provisions for nearly 1,300 people with disabilities to stay in state-funded residential facilities, and a further 23,222 people received non-residential support services. The province has also allocated 6,000 spaces in department-funded residential facilities for older persons and nearly 17,000 in community-based programmes. Furthermore, 65,000 subsidised spaces in Early Childhood Development (ECD) programmes for children 0-5 years of age, made provisions for 75,000 children in partial care facilities and created 298 work opportunities for unemployed matriculants.

A DA government will ensure that we have a growing economy which will free millions from the shackles of poverty and allow people to move from welfare to work. The DA feels the pain of the millions that are unemployed, and we are determined to better their future. 
 
In fact, speaker only two days ago the latest unemployment figures were released, indicating an increase to 25.2%. 
 
When discouraged work-seekers are taken into account the broad unemployment rate has increased to a staggering 38% or 7 million South Africans. This means that there are 1.2 million more South Africans unemployed today than there were on the day Jacob Zuma became president.

Fortunately the DA-run Western Cape bucked the negative trend by creating 8,000 jobs during the same period. 

The DA has a plan, and the ANC clearly does not.

Yes, we need a safety net for those who cannot look after themselves, however we also need a growing economy with job opportunities so people can achieve their potential, the DA’s 8% Growth Plan and specifically our proposed Youth Wage Subsidy will help to achieve this.

Speaker, The Department is facing a management crisis, when the budget was presented to us, 7 out of the 8 top managements positions were vacant. We have heard that the position of the DG was finally filled last week and the DA would like to congratulate Mr Pakade, and we wish him well in his new position.

Out of the seven Deputy-Director General positions, only one is filled. Minister, you are the accountable officer for your department and it is your responsibility and duty to ensure that these critical positions are filled and that your department fulfils its mandate, which it clearly is not the case. 

There is a managerial crisis and it is having a direct impact on the functioning of your Department. 
 
Some examples where the Department is failing in its duties are:
The Child Protection Register, which, is a complete and utter disaster – not to mention an embarrassment to our country. Why is it, Minister, that last year a dismal 438 names appeared on the Register but as of April this year, the Register had declined to a pathetic 305 names. How can someone simply be removed from the Child Protection Register, and how do you explain a 30% decline? 
The Central Drug Authority is another example where the Department failed in its duty. The Department failed to ensure that Parliament was given ample time to interview and appoint the new CDA board. As a result, from September 2012 to April 2013 we had no board. We still do not have a National Drug Master Plan, and given the destruction that substance abuse is causing throughout our communities it boggles the mind that you, Minister, have allowed this to happen. It is a disgrace.
Other areas of concern are around the slashing of funding to core issues. Can the Minister explain why funding has been cut to the sub-programmes for Substance Abuse by 18%, Youth by 29%, Older Persons by 33%? I do not accept the explanation given by officials that these cuts are due to efficiency savings through non-core functions such as advertising, venues and travel. I do not accept that these sub-programmes had that amount of fat in them in the first place. You have gone for the soft targets, Minister.
Another area of extreme concern for the DA is that of Social Workers. We all now agree that we need 66,000 social workers to implement the Children’s Act alone. The Department reported and admitted that their current policy on the training of Social Workers is a failure and that it will take decades to reach the target. I am pleased to say that the committee recognises this and has in its report called on the Minister to review her policy and report back to the committee on how she intends to achieve the 66,000 target.

Speaker, if the Minister and her department really wanted to cut the fat and wasteful expenditure she should have looked no further, than the National Development Agency (NDA). Everything the NDA does, from ECD to food programmes, the Department already does. Yes, the DA wants poor people to benefit from such programmes but why do we need an additional organisation that is top heavy and delivers very little compared to the amount of money they receive, when the Department is already doing these programmes? 

Let me elaborate the NDA receives a budget of R171.7 million.

The 125 employees are paid on average R519,027 per annum, the total salary bill is a staggering R64,8 million or 38% of the total budget. If we are all honest with ourselves, the NDA is merely an employment agency.

An additional 26% or R43,871,542 goes towards goods and services, which includes a 600% increase for the boards expenses.

Payment for capital assets is R3.2 million, which includes a 1000% increase for furniture and fixtures. But this is not considered as fat in the budget. 

It is clear that the Department thinking is, ‘let’s rather cut funding to the older persons and the youth as furniture is much more important’. 

Honourable Members, once you have paid the fat-cat salaries, board expenses and bought new furniture we are left with 35% or R59,7 million for actual projects.

Only one in every three Rand goes towards a project.

The NDA should be closed down with immediate effect and the Department can simply continue to deliver what the NDA is not. 

Speaker, if we are to stand for simple justice, equal opportunity and human rights, the Minister and her department need to do some deep soul searching.

I thank you.

 

Budget Vote 19 - Social Development 
Ms HN Makhuba MP

 

8th May 2013

 

 

Honourable Speaker,

 

Social Development remains core to building a free and equal society in South Africa. It provides for those who cannot provide for themselves and is the department that holds the very conscience of our society. This department is at the coal face of poverty alleviation and social wellbeing and as such must always function both efficiently and effectively.

 

The Inkatha Freedom Party supports Budget Vote 19 and is positive about the overall efficiency and outputs of the Department, however we would like to highlight the following issues which we feel require additional attention:

 

Re-registration for social grants has been rolled out relatively successfully throughout the country however there are still a few departmental offices whose staff appear not to have the required training, or rather  are not interested in assisting beneficiaries encountering problems and are thus unable to serve the citizenry effectively. We request that staff and customer surveys be completed in this instance in order to ascertain which offices are consistently weak and require additional staff training.

 

Another problem experienced by beneficiaries was that they were being paid on their SASSA card and had to then go to the bank and transfer their funds from their SASSA accounts into their bank accounts in order to pay debit orders off their banking accounts. We were pleased to see the programme published in the media where beneficiaries could now call a number in order for them to link their personal bank to their payments. This programme is an excellent initiative as it alleviates the problems mentioned above and we hope that it reaches all beneficiaries even those in rural areas.

 

SASSA needs to put in additional security measures in order to guard against unscrupulous departmental staff being able to generate fraudulent cards as has been reported. We were also pleased that Departmental action in these instances was swift and that the culprits were quickly discovered.

 

The National Development Agency's mandate is to contribute towards the eradication of poverty and its causes through the granting of funds to civil society organisations to enable them to implement projects. It is also responsible for capacitating other organisations and for providing services to poor communities. When funding is granted to Community Based Organizations, this creates employment opportunities. The IFP therefore feels these NGOs and CBOs should be assisted by giving them training in order for them to sustain themselves, rather than to de-register them due to non-compliance. Non-Governmental Organizations play an incredibly important role in our fight against poverty alleviation and all other manner of social-ills.

 

The IFP welcomed the decision by the Department of Social Development in Kwa-Zulu Natal to open day-care centres for elderly people after a spate of gruesome attacks on elderly women last year. These day-care centres play a pivotal role in not only protecting our elderly people but also by providing them with a safe space in which to engage in social activities. We would like to see more of these kinds of centres throughout the entire country, as well as more homes for the aged in our rural areas.

 

Food security is the right of every South African and must therefore remain foremost in our thinking. Vulnerability to food insecurity only exacerbates nutritional problems which can lead to a host of other physical, emotional and mental ills.  Food security and the provision of nutritional food to all is the first line of defence in keeping our nation healthy and productive.

 

Social ills such as teen pregnancy, drug and alcohol use and abuse, unprotected sexual activity and promiscuity must remain the targets of our social education campaigns in our schools, universities and communities.

 

Honourable members we are losing the war on drugs. This adversary is such as we have never faced before. It will take a concerted and focussed effort to eradicate same from our land. It should remain one of this department's foremost goals. The Central Drug Authority must be adequately resourced and assisted wherever it can be by government in achieving its goals. This challenge will never be addressed by the DSD and CDA alone. We all need to come together as a nation, join hands in the fight against substance and drug abuse. Our children are the ones affected and we are under solemn obligation to protect them; they are the future of our country.

 

I thank you.

 

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