Question NW3692 to the Minister of Social Development
16 November 2023 - NW3692
Arries, Ms LH to ask the Minister of Social Development
What are the reasons that the R 6 billion rand that was underspent by her department and subsequently sent to the Department of Defence was not utilised to appoint unemployed social workers?
Reply:
The National Department of Social Development reflected an underspending of R 6.1 billion for the 2022/23 financial year. The main underspending was reflected in the Social Assistance Programme (Social Grants Budgets). R 4.3 billion of this amount is related to the SRD R 350 grant.
During the 2022 Adjusted Estimates of National Expenditure (ENE) in September 2022, an amount of R 755.303 million was approved by Parliament to be shifted from the National Department of Social Development to the Department of Defence for extended deployment as part of Operation Vikela in Mozambique.
The Department has requested the National Treasury to re-utilize any savings from social grants for poverty alleviation strategies in the social sector. This request was however not granted, and Parliament has re-allocated savings on social grants to other government pressures.