Question NW648 to the Minister of Social Development

Share this page:

11 April 2018 - NW648

Profile picture: Masango, Ms B

Masango, Ms B to ask the Minister of Social Development

(1)What steps has her department taken to ensure that the provisions of the Children’s Act, Act 38 of 2005, are implemented in an intersectoral and integrated manner; (2) whether she considers her department exempt from any of the provisions of the specified Act; if so, (a) which provisions and (b) on what statutory grounds does she consider the department to be exempt from these provisions; (3) has she been informed that a written agenda distributed by officials from her department during the February 2018 meetings it hosted for social workers describes the involvement of nonsocial work professionals such as lawyers and psychologists as unnecessary in service delivery to children; (4) (a) which departmental officials (i) authorised the agenda, (ii) conducted the meetings and (iii) attended the meetings and (b) what steps will she take to ensure that (i) these officials are held to account, (ii) the misperception that has been created is rectified and (iii) all members of her department will refrain from infringing upon the constitutional rights of children and contravening section 5 of the specified Act?

Reply:

1. In 2009 the Department finalised an intersectoral implementation plan and a monitoring and evaluation framework to ensure that provisions of the Children’s Act are implemented in an intersectoral and integrated manner.

2. The Department is not exempted from any of the provisions of the Children’s Act.

3. The Minister’s Office has not been informed of a written agenda by departmental officials describing the involvement of nonsocial work professionals such as lawyers and psychologists as unnecessary in service delivery to children.

4. The Minister’s Office undertakes to inquire within the Department regarding this matter with a view to establish (a) which departmental officials (i) authorised the agenda, (ii) conducted the meetings and (iii) attended the meetings and (b) The Minister’s Office will take steps to ensure that (i) these officials are held to account, (ii) the misperception that has been created is rectified and (iii) written communication is sent to all members of the department to request them to refrain from infringing upon the constitutional rights of children and contravening section 5 of the specified Act.

________________________

Approved by the Minister on

Date……………………….

Source file