Hansard: Appropriation Bill: Debate on Vote No 7 – Women, Children and People with Disabilities:
House: National Assembly
Date of Meeting: 15 Apr 2010
Summary
No summary available.
Minutes
FRIDAY, 16 APRIL 2010
PROCEEDINGS OF EXTENDED PUBLIC COMMITTEE – OLD ASSEMBLY CHAMBER
___________________________
Members of the Extended Public Committee met in the Old Assembly Chamber at 10:06.
House Chairperson Mr K O Bapela, as Chairperson, took the Chair and requested members to observe a moment of silence for prayers or meditation.
The MINISTER OF WOMEN, YOUTH, CHILDREN AND PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES
START OF DAY
APPROPRIATION BILL
Debate on Vote No 7 – Women, Children and People with Disabilities:
The MINISTER OF WOMEN, CHILDREN AND PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES: Chairperson, hon Ministers and Deputy Ministers here present, hon members and guests in the gallery, it is a great honour for me to present to this august House the first Budget Vote of the Ministry of Women, Children and People With Disabilities.
As our President indicated when announcing the Cabinet Ministers in May last year, this Ministry is created to protect the rights and enhance the development opportunities for women, children and people with disabilities. The President further magnified our role at the celebration of National Women's Day last year, stating that this Ministry "will monitor other government departments to ensure the mainstreaming of gender, children's rights and disability considerations into all programmes of government and other sectors". This will help government to respond to issues of these targeted groups in an integrated and coherent manner.
Again, in outlining the programme of action of government in the state of the nation address this year, the President emphasised the need "to integrate gender equity measures into the government's programme of action and ensure that women, children and people with disabilities can access developmental opportunities". It is important to outline this mandate in order to appropriately locate and respond to the varying expectations with regard to the work of the Ministry, which arose through our consultations with Parliament and stakeholders in the three sectors, which are women, children and people with disabilities.
These expectations range from organisations which require resources to create development opportunities for local groups of women, to even individual people with disabilities who cannot find employment despite having some work qualifications. They include the need for protection of various rights of children violated in many ways in our society. These expectations have indeed influenced our strategic direction and areas of focus for the Ministry and Department of Women, Children and People With Disabilities.
To actualise our mandate, which originated from the resolution of the Polokwane conference of the ANC, over the past months we have focused on building systems and processes that will enable this department to effectively carry out its mandate. The former offices of the Status of Women, Rights of the Child and Rights of People with Disabilities have been incorporated into the new department. We are indeed concerned about the unhealthy state of affairs at the Commission for Gender Equality, the CGE. We will be engaging with the CGE to provide the necessary leadership and find measures to address various challenges facing the organisation. We have to ensure that the Commission for Gender Equality carries out its mandate as an important chapter 9 institution focused on issues of gender.
We have covered sufficient ground in building this Ministry and the department over the past 10 months to state with confidence before this House that indeed 2010 will become a year of action for women, children and people with disabilities. Part of our groundwork has been the mobilisation of human and other resources needed for the implementation of our programme. We have completed the selection process for the position of the Director-General of the Department for Women, Children and People with Disabilities and are currently awaiting Cabinet's decision on the matter.
The department is also in the process of advertising most of the posts that are scheduled to be filled in the 2010-11 financial year. These include, amongst other posts, deputy directors-general responsible for each of three branches: women, children and people with disabilities. This will enable the new director-general to select staff that are urgently needed to carry out the important task before us. Our organogram with the staff complement of 195 was approved by the Department of Public Service and Administration. The amount allocated to the department and agreed to by Cabinet is limited compared to the magnitude of the task of transforming our society for the benefit of women, children and people with disabilities. It is, however, the policy of our government to mainstream the programmes throughout government systems and structures.
We ask this House to approve the budget, cognisant of the intention to discuss how priority programmes can be relocated to the Ministry of Women, Children and People with Disabilities. That is the discussion which should occur at a policy level. The period of budget adjustment later this year should provide a window of opportunity for better resource allocation. We are not allowing these challenges to limit our ability to improve the lives of vulnerable individuals in our society. We are forging partnerships with various players to make a difference in South Africa. Today, we will be handing over wheelchairs and assistive devices to learners with disabilities, as part of an initiative supported by the Airport Company of SA, Acsa. Acsa has already provided about 400 assistive devices in the Free State and, during this financial year, the company will provide a further 500 assistive devices.
I would like to thank the representatives of Acsa who are present here today and all private sector and civil-society partners who are joining hands with the Ministry to make a difference in the lives of marginalised women, vulnerable children and people with disabilities. A few weeks ago, we passed the 20 000 milestone in the provision of wheelchairs to needy South Africans with disabilities in a partnership with the Rotary Clubs of Northcliff in Johannesburg and Hampshire in the United Kingdom.
We are appealing to the private sector in particular to make available one per cent of their net profit after tax for projects that support socioeconomic development of the vulnerable groups in our society. This contribution should support government's social programmes and make a lasting difference in improving the lives of marginalised women, vulnerable children and people with disabilities.
Regarding the women sector, we participated in the 15-year global review of the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and its Platform for Action, convened by the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women in New York last month. We will soon be convening stakeholders in South Africa to discuss the outcomes of this United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, the UNCSW, and develop a programme that takes us to the Beijing Plus 20 review. The UNCSW review indicated a mix of progress and challenges in the global progress towards the attainment of gender equality.
Globally, much progress has been made on education and political representation, with South Africa ranking third amongst countries with the highest number of women in the legislature. While access to health, including reproductive health services, has improved, the impact of HIV and Aids is negatively affecting health outcomes, including the incidence of maternal death and infant mortality.
The Ministry of Women, Children and People With Disabilities therefore fully supports the HIV testing initiative by government, as well as the immunisation campaign that is under way. We want to ensure that women, children and people with disabilities participate in their numbers to protect their health. We will utilise the opportunity of the review of the Millennium Development Goals in July this year to ensure that there is stronger focus on reducing poverty and improving the health of women, children and people with disabilities.
Economic empowerment of women is the area of greatest concern where less progress has been made globally and in South Africa. It is disappointing to note from the recent census done by the Businesswomen's Association that by September 2009, there were still 73 companies listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, which do not have even a single woman on their boards of directors. At least 26 of these companies do not have even a single woman at an executive management level.
These are disturbing statistics that we have to deal with more than 16 years into our democracy. A prediction from the census is that if we continue at the current rate, we will only achieve 50/50 gender parity at board level in the private sector in 20 years. For the executive management level, it will take us another 40 years. Irrespective of the progress that we have made, I am sure we all agree that this situation is unacceptable. I must state that we appreciate the progress made by government in ensuring that women participate in the decision-making structures of government.
Our main focus this year will be on the development of the gender equality Bill, which should hasten the pace towards gender equality in all sectors of our society. We will also be working within the existing frameworks such as broad-based black economic empowerment and the Employment Equity Act to ensure that our current equity targets for women and people with disabilities are met. We will hold consultations with organised labour, private-sector organisations and other stakeholders as part of our campaign to advocate for the 50/50 gender parity principle in positions of management and leadership.
The Beijing Plus 15 review also highlighted that violence against women and girls remained a major challenge both globally and in South Africa. In line with the UN Secretary-General's "Unite to End Violence against Women" campaign and the establishment of a global database on violence against women, we intend to intensify our initiative of a dedicated, comprehensive and integrated programme on the 365 days national action plan. This would include the campaign of 16 Days of Activism Campaign for No Violence against Women and Children. We are focusing on the challenges, such as rape, murder, human trafficking and forced prostitution affecting women and children.
Two weeks ago we joined the government of the Free State, the Women's League of the ANC, the Progressive Women's Movement of SA and other partners in responding to the challenges of illegal brothels in Bloemfontein after the brutal murder of a girl who was thrown from the seventh floor of a flat run by an alleged druglord. Tomorrow, we will be in Beaufort West, again dealing with interlinkages between drugs, human trafficking, prostitution and the abuse of women and children. We have to work together as various sectors to reduce the vulnerability of women and children that may be linked to the hosting of the 2010 Fifa Soccer World Cup.
We will be engaging with the SA Police Service on the desegregation of data relating to crimes affecting women and children. Our consultation, particularly on the issue of ritual killings, indicates that more effort is needed to better understand the motives behind some of the murders and to respond to them accordingly.
We will finalise the review of the Children's Rights Charter and incorporate the emerging challenges facing children. One of these problems is easy access to pornographic material for children and the use of children as the subject of pornographic material. We welcome the decision by MultiChoice to reverse its decision to introduce a new pornographic television channel. We have to ensure that children are protected from these harmful publications and that they are not sexually exploited. In this regard, we have to commend the decision by MultiChoice, as indicated. We will also focus on the plight of children living in the streets with the aim of co-ordinating together with other government departments and consolidating existing efforts to reintegrate these children into families or move them to secure environments. This will be done in conjunction with government entities and other partners involved in this area.
Regarding disability, we will be focusing on the domestication of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of People With Disabilities. Amongst other things, the convention states that parties to the convention must take appropriate measures to ensure that people with disabilities have access, on an equal basis with others, to the physical environment, to transportation, to information and communications and to other facilities and services open or provided to the public. It states that this shall be applicable to buildings, roads, transportation and other indoor and outdoor facilities.
Whilst this is applicable to every building, the issue of access to facilities has arisen sharply with regard to access to the 2010 Fifa Soccer World Cup for people with disabilities. We are engaging with the Local Organising Committee and South African Disability Alliance with regard to the transportation and improvement of space available for people with disabilities.
It is very disturbing that some of the newly built or reconstructed stadiums have failed to make adequate disability provisions in their plans. We have to find a solution urgently that will ensure that people with disabilities celebrate equally this historic event in our country.
We will also focus on ensuring that government complies with its target of 2% employment equity for people with disabilities, and we urge other sectors to follow suit. The disability sector has also raised strongly the issue of education and skills development, which is important in increasing the opportunity of people with disabilities to engage in economic activities.
We will also be working with the Department of Health and other role-players towards universal access to assistive devices that are essential for independent living and participation in social and economic activities. All three branches of the department responsible for each of the sectors will put in place monitoring and evaluation systems with measurable indicators that are responsive to gender, children's rights and people with disabilities. This will ensure that our oversight function leads to the integration of
sector-specific equity measures in government programmes.
These branches will also seek to mainstream norms and standards relating to their sector throughout all spheres of government. Each of the branches must apply specialised technical capabilities appropriate to their sectors. This includes competencies to address
sector-specific dynamics and peculiarities that have the potential to hamper delivery for these three targeted sectors.
We will also be revising policy frameworks relevant to each sector, including the national policy framework for women's empowerment and gender equality, the draft national policy for the advancement of children's rights, the national plan of action for children, and the national policy on disability. This revision is necessary to align the policy framework with the changes in institutional arrangements and co-ordination mechanisms.
We will work towards the ratification of the Southern African Development Community, SADC, protocol on gender and development and ensure the domestication of this protocol into the revised policy. We will also be developing a programme of action for the domestication of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of People With Disabilities.
Our department collaborates with a number of international and continental bodies and instruments that the country is signatory to. In this regard, we are required to report periodically on the progress made at national level on the implementation of these instruments.
We are going to ensure that all reports to these international and regional bodies are consulted on and finalised in time for submission. Furthermore, we are undertaking to address the backlog in reporting and will ensure that all outstanding reports will be submitted during this financial year.
I am glad and proud to add that South Africa has been able to address its 10-year backlog regarding progress made in implementing Cedaw - the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women - with the submission of the report last year. I am led to believe that we may be requested to present this to the Cedaw committee early next year. We will be consulting widely in preparation for this process.
The implementation of the Child Justice Act, with effect from this month, is one of the major steps that our country has taken in complying with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child. We will certainly be noting this progress in the reports to these bodies.
We will also be facilitating the observation of the commemorative days relating to our sectors, which amongst other days include National Women's Day, National Children's Day and the Day of the African Child, the International Day for People With Disabilities, as well as the 16 and the 365 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children.
In line with the mandate outlined by our President, the Department of Women, Children and People With Disabilities will be focusing on three main areas, and these are the oversight role, the mainstreaming of gender, children's rights and disability considerations, and the empowerment of women, children and people with disabilities.
I would like to thank all those who have supported us in this challenging task of setting up this Ministry and department over the past 10 months. The Presidency has played a central role in assisting this Ministry, providing administrative and other forms of support to ensure that we establish this institution. The Presidency went beyond the call of duty, and we appreciate its support very much.
I would also like to thank my colleagues in Cabinet, the chairperson and members of the Portfolio Committee on Women, Children and People with Disabilities. My appreciation also goes to the ANC Women's League, the Progressive Women's Movement of SA and many other women's organisations in the country, children's rights groups and organisations representing people with disabilities who have engaged with us to ensure that we create a department that can respond to the expectations of our sectors and our country. Many of the representatives of these organisations are with us here today, and I appreciate your presence and support very much.
I also appreciate the support and enthusiasm with which the international agencies, particularly UN agencies that have responded to the establishment of this new Ministry. These agencies have a critical role in supporting the mandate of the Ministry and department.
As I end, I would also like to thank the staff in our department and Ministry who are not so many, but who have ensured the set up of this institution to protect the rights and enhance development opportunities for women, children and people with disabilities. I also wish to thank the Minister for the Public Service and Administration who ensured that we got the necessary technical support in setting up the systems and structures for the new department. To my family present here, thank you for your love, understanding and support. Together let us make 2010 a year of action for women, children and people with disabilities.
Thank you very much. [Applause.]
/Mia
END OF TAKE
Ms B THOMSON
The MINISTER OF WOMEN, CHILDREN AND PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES
Ms B THOMSON: Minister Noluthando Mayende-Sibiya, Deputy Minister, hon members, officials present, civil society in the gallery and learners in the gallery, this is a historic moment for us as this is our first Budget Vote debate. This has come about as a result of one of our Polokwane resolutions. This Ministry has the huge task of improving the lives of women, children and people living with disabilities. This Ministry replaces the then OSW, that is the Office on the Status of Women, which was located in the Presidency. We would recall that the Office on the Status of Women was located with the Office on the rights of the Child, as well as the Office on the Status of Disabled Persons.
There were structural issues which needed to be considered in terms of how these vulnerable groups would relate to the new Ministry. It is important that the Ministry take note of the challenges that hindered the Office on the Status of Women in functioning well. Some of the challenges were lack of funding and lack of human resources, and also the ranks of officials driving the programmes did not give them the authority that was in line with their responsibilities for co-ordination and oversight.
Now that we have a Ministry, the question is: Are we better positioned to make sure that gender equality will be achieved? Taking into account the number of women Ministers and Deputy Ministers in the Cabinet, this should make a vast difference. This should give us hope. Our women Ministers should lead the process of gender mainstreaming. This women Ministry is here. We all have to make a point to ensure that it works despite all the challenges it faces.
IsiZulu:
Ukusebenza koMnyango, sithe uma sibheka izinselelo zoMnyango sabuka sakuthi kwakuyoba usizo ukuba loMnyango wawubekwe ngaphansi kwehhovisi likaMongameli. Nokho sesibhodla emswaneni ngoba akwenzekanga lokhu. Phela empeleni umsebenzi waloMnyango ubalulekile. Umsebenzi wawo ukubheka ngeso lokhozi ukuthi ngabe eminye iMinyango iyakulandela yini ukuhlela izinhlelo zayo ngokulingana ngokobulili, futhi kungabe kukhona na ingxenye yesabelo mali eya kuzo lezinhlelo.
Uma lokhu kungenzeki, yiwo loMnyango ofanele uthole izizathu. Kafushane nje lo Mnyango ungunogada ufanele uqaphele ukuthi ingxenye ethile yefa lalo hulumeni wethu liyafinyelela komama, abantwana nabantu abaphila nokukhubazeka. Naso ke isizathu esingenza ngiwubone loMnyango, kufanele ubenamandla athe xaxa kuneminye iMinyango ngaphandle kokuba ngobhongoza. Unogada uyawadinga amandla, nokho inselelo esizoyiphonsa kuMongameli wezwe. Phela ingani engakhali ifela embelekweni, siyathemba uMongameli akayokusho ukuthi hawu "ngininika isandla senifuna ingalo yonke".
Umsebenzi waloMnyango ubanzi kakhulu, bheka ngoba uqala khona la kule sishayamthetho sethu, uye kuzifundazwe, uphinde uye nakomasipala bethu. Khumbula phela ukuthi nazo lezinhlaka zikahulumeni ziyasithola isabelo mali, kungabe ke izinhlelo zabo zihleleke ngokuyikho na? Akufunakali sidedele nje kube yikampunzi edla emini sikhona. Kungani pho isabelo sethu sifane neconsi olwandle izigidi eziyikhulu nanhlanu nesithupha, R156 million kuphela nje? Awu! siyakhala impela.
Asifuni ukubona isabelo soMnyango siphelela ehhovisi nakubasebenzi, bese izinhlelo zoMnyango zona zithole imbijana. Nakuba kunjalo Mphathiswa umsebenzi kumele wenziwe phela "impangele enhle umakhala egijima". Asiqaphe ke siwuMnyango - ake ngenze isibonakaliso, Umnyango Wezokuthuthukisa Kwemiphakathi ugixabezwe ngesamba esiyizigidigidi ezingama-95 zamarandi, Umnyango Kahulumeni Wokubambisana kanye Nezindaba Zendabuko ugixabezwe ngezigidigidi ezingama-43 zamarandi, Umnyango Wemfundo Ephakame ugixabezwe ngezigidigidi ezingama-32 zamarandi, Umnyango Wezokuvikela ugixabezwe ngezigidigidi ezingama-32 zamarandi kuthi Owezempilo ugixabezwe ngezigidigidi ezingama-21 zamarandi., njalo njalo. Angeke ngikwazi ukuyiqeda yonke.
Inhloso yokubonisa isabelo saleMinyango ukuveza la kufanele siyekhona, siyobheka ukuthi kungabe yinani elingakanani elibekelwe omama, abantwana, nabantu abaphila nokukhubazeka. Uma nje laba abanye oNgqongqoshe bezokwenza njengoba kufanele, hhayi Mphathiswa sekuyoba ngozi makhaza. Empeleni abanye abaphathiswa kakade bayakwenza lokhu. Sibonile uMhlonishwa uJeff Radebe, uMnyango wakhe wenze isichibiyelo kumthetho wabantwana I"Child Justice Act".
English:
The Department of Health, led by the hon Aaron Motsoaledi, has engendered the roll-out of antiretrovirals by recognising that women are more susceptible to HIV and Aids and to sexually transmitted infections. In other words, the Department of Health has recognised the gendered face of HIV and Aids in South Africa. In 2009, the Department of the Public Service and Administration, headed by the hon Richard Baloyi, hosted the first Public Service gender indaba under the theme "Engendering Public Service Policy". Siyakuncoma ke lokho. [We appreciate that.] For the sake of time, I cannot mention all the other departments.
Let us come to protocols and agreements. The Southern African Development Community protocol has been signed by South Africa, but has not been ratified by Parliament. This is one of our challenges we need to address. Be that as it may, article 3 of the SADC Protocol on Gender and Development states that the objectives of the protocol are to provide for the empowerment of women, to eliminate discrimination and to achieve gender equality through the development and implementation of gender-responsive legislation, policies, programmes and projects. The question is: Is this happening?
GG//Mia
END OF TAKE
The objectives of the protocol are also to harmonise the implementation of various instruments to which SADC member states have subscribed to at regional, continental and international levels on gender equality and equity, which, amongst other things, are the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons With Disabilities, and many more.
For the purpose of time, allow me to focus on Cedaw only. When departments put programmes in place, it should be borne in mind that those programmes effectively contribute to the achievement of the social and economic goals of the country, especially for the vulnerable. According to Unifem, the United Nations Development Fund for Women, all stakeholders should apply Cedaw principles, that is substantive equality and the nondiscriminatory participation and modification of social and cultural patterns of conduct when allocating budgets.
Without even realising it, stakeholders could make budget decisions that are discriminatory to women. We should also not lose sight of the fact that not all individuals have the golden opportunity to contribute towards budget processes. Members of Parliament and stakeholders like civic society should have a much more inclusive role to play in the budget process.
Let me illustrate a case in point. Parliamentary committees have different mandates to fulfil. How does it then come about that budgets allocated to parliamentary committees are equal in amounts? This is a great challenge that needs to be addressed. It also calls for measures that build the capacity of us, as elected representatives, to be able to analyse budgets, particularly from a gender perspective. This could also be done with civil society as well, as they are also beneficiaries of these budgets. Budget allocations should be seen as a human rights issue.
In terms of working with other departments on women, this department is not an implementing one but a monitoring one. For example, we need to look at legislation that has an impact on the lives of women. We have to monitor whether laws passed impact positively on the quality of life and status of women. There has been a lack of disaggregated data to gauge whether targeted programmes have impacted on the lives of women and on how many women have benefited from these programmes. Examples of such pieces of legislation are the Domestic Violence Act, the Reform of Customary Law of Succession and Regulation of Related Matters Act, the Traditional Courts Bill and many more.
The same would apply when monitoring bodies like the Commission for Gender Equality. Are they delivering on their mandate, as outlined in the Commission on Gender Equality Act? My colleague the hon Ramodibe will speak more about this.
Allow me to touch a little on the Domestic Violence Act. Elizabeth Petersen, founder of the SA Faith and Family Institute, together with Venessa Padayachee from the National Institute for Crime Prevention and the Reintegration of Offender, Nicro, a pioneer organisation leading the battered women's movement in the early nineties, strongly argue that domestic violence is a specialised field. Experience shows that not all social workers, psychologists, priests, nurses, police officers, magistrates and probation officers understand the complex dynamics of intimate partner abuse. Far too much damage is done to victim ...
The CHAIRPERSON (Mr K O Bapela): Hon member, your time has expired.
Mr B THOMSON: So quick. Thank you, Chair. [Applause.]
GG//Mia
END OF TAKE
Mrs D ROBINSON
Ms B THOMSON
Mrs D ROBINSON: Hon Chairperson, hon Minister and members, NGOs, civil society present and our researchers, we thank you all for your support and help. The creation of the Ministry of Women, Children and People with Disabilities in 2009 was meant to signal a decisive change in the status and level of significance of matters affecting women, children and people with disabilities in comparison with that of the old joint monitoring committee's ineffectual and often quite dysfunctional "performance", to quote Professor Amanda Gouws. This, despite the fact that it was located in the Presidency, supposedly the powerhouse of action.
Now, despite the increased ministerial status, with all the trappings of bureaucracy, the expected change has not materialised. Women and disabled people continue to take a back seat, in this case with regard particularly to the funding of the Ministry – a mere R156 million. Has the lacklustre performance of the Ministry been recognised by the Presidency? Is this why its budgetary wings have been clipped, or is this simply that the vulnerable groups are, in reality, not considered important enough to warrant real financial muscle? Alternatively, was the Ministry's creation not well considered, planned or costed initially? Perhaps the latter. The President has some answering to do to the expectations he has raised here in Parliament and also in our constituencies.
Far less money has been received than was requested, particularly in the areas of administration and intersectoral communication. One can argue about the merits of taking funds away from one place and adding them to another, but, especially in these troubled times, the taxpayers of this country simply cannot afford to supply resources for yet another Ministry that seeks to duplicate the work that can be achieved through ministries that already exist.
In this case, if the delusion was that Minister Mayende Sibiya was to lead a Ministry that would render actual services, we would ask which services were contemplated that could not be delivered equally well, if not better, through the Ministry presided over by the Department of Social Development.
On the other hand, if the intention was that the Minister would head a function that could monitor and evaluate the performance of other departments in respect of the rights of woman, children and people with disabilities, we ask if Minister Collins Chabane would not take offence.
Unfortunately, it must be said that this Ministry is like an old dog without any teeth. Even if it does want to take a bite, it doesn't seem to know what to tackle? Sadly, this is a public letdown, for it means that actual service delivery that could benefit our women, our children and those otherwise-abled will not be significantly enhanced by this Ministry.
The truth is that Luthuli House has once again chosen to ignore that one cannot achieve the empowerment of women, children and disabled people with window-dressing. It can only be achieved with real effort and commitment to the values of gender equality and equity. It can only be achieved if every Ministry leads its department in delivering services in such a way that they will remove the obstacles to opportunity for women, children and disabled people.
This type of empowerment will only become a reality if every Ministry becomes a de facto Ministry of Woman, Children and the Disabled. Empowerment will only become a reality if this government truly becomes a government for all the people, instead of a government for the cadres and those who support them.
This is not just empty rhetoric. The proof has already been presented publicly. Why is it that the wider public have not been involved or invited to any of the Minister's imbizos or investigations on ukuthwala ritual murders? Only the inner circle of the ANC has been invited. [Interjections.] Not even the portfolio committee has been informed, invited or involved.
No wonder there have been rumblings of discontent from amongst the ruling party and the ANC Women's League. This sense of crony entitlement is the root of the problem where we direct efforts at the collective - rather than at the individuals - and opportunities for all.
The failure of the ailing, dysfunctional Commission for Gender Equality, an important chapter 9 institution, which is meant to uphold gender equality and equity, is indicative of a failure of our Parliament. Those who should have been holding it to account – the Presidency, the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Development and, more recently, the new Ministry – have been silent. Where are the protesting voices when women's issues are ignored and patriarchal and traditional attitudes are applauded; when women are seen only as objects of sexual gratification; and the myth of sex with virgins to cure HIV and Aids is perpetuated? Where is the outcry when women are subjected to corrective rape? The fact that 31 lesbian women have been murdered in homophobic attacks since 1982 and only two perpetrators have gone to trial, with only one being convicted, is outrageous.
The law must be amended. Corrective rape must be deemed a hate crime so that convictions can take place. The Commission for Gender Equality, the CGE, must focus on advancing gender equality in all spheres and not only in terms of financial and administrative squabbles. The commission needs a change of leadership, perhaps even a change in the Act.
A new resolve needs to be shown. Our Constitution, the guarantor of human rights, of women's rights, of the rights of people with disabilities, must be protected at all times. The transfer of the CGE to the new Ministry has taken a sizeable portion of its budget.
The programmes for disabled persons received only R7,1 million. This group of 1,9 million citizens is one of the most marginalised in South Africa. Trying to level the playing fields will be a major challenge and needs special attention.
To give disabled persons, especially young people who are deaf, an equal chance in life, urgent attention needs to be given to the provision of good tertiary education facilities and the provision of sign language interpreters. They are doubly disadvantaged by their isolation. It is important that disability is mainstreamed as one needs to change the perceptions, attitudes and lives of people living with disabilities and of those who are not disabled.
This would also dismantle the structures that disenable vulnerable groups from being regarded as equals in society. Many changes need to be made in South Africa regarding equal opportunities for previously disadvantaged groups. The mandate of each of these vulnerable groups is vast and needs attention.
It is interesting to note that this new Ministry received the smallest budget of all while the youth received more funding than all the others. Does this show some kind of preference or a special relationship with the youth?
One can only speculate as to why the choice was made to remove the youth from this Ministry and return it to the Presidency. Was this perhaps because a deal that was struck? It has become clear that the identity, mandate and role of the Ministry are not clearly defined. To function properly, they need to be corrected.
A strong administration is needed with experts on gender, women, children and disability; otherwise this Ministry will continue to flounder.
In conclusion, gender mainstreaming should take place within South African society as this would change our society radically. As explained by Shirin Rai from India, gender mainstreaming is and I quote:
The process of assessing the implications for women and men or people with disabilities of any planned action, legislation and policies in all areas and at all levels of an organisation. It is a strategy of making women and men's concerns and experiences an integral part of the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of policies and programmes to achieve gender equality.
This Ministry has enormous challenges ahead of it. However, it has a strong portfolio committee which can assist. We trust that we will be able to give the necessary guidance and oversight to ensure that the plight of women, children and people with disabilities is alleviated. Thank you. [Applause.]
src
END OF TAKE
The TEMPORARY CHAIRPERSON (Dr T S Farisani): Hon members, we live in a multilingual society and the letters of the alphabet are not necessarily pronounced the same way. Now, if we mispronounce your name, then we are open to correction. Assist us to do the right thing. So, I have done enough research, but it may not be adequate.
Ms S P RWEXANA
Mrs D ROBINSON
Ms S P RWEXANA: Thank you, Chairperson. You pronounced my surname the right way. Hon Chairperson, hon Minister, hon Members of Parliament and invited guests, today women of South Africa from all walks of life will be watching with enthusiasm the budget debate of the Department of Women, Children and People with Disabilities. This enthusiasm was raised when President Zuma announced the establishment of the new Ministry at the beginning of the fourth democratic Parliament in 2009.
South African women have a very rich history of struggle, which culminated in the formation of the Women's Charter in 1954. This charter is a guiding document for major women's programmes on the political, social and economic emancipation of women. Throughout the 1950s, the 1980s, the 1990s, and up to today, women have been at the forefront of the struggle. It is therefore based on this political background that women welcome the announcement by President Zuma though there were reservations when the women's Ministry was clustered with youth, children and people with disabilities.
Unfortunately, the Minister did not say much about the 2010-11 budget. Women have high expectations that this budget will bring about change in their lives, and this raises serious concerns. The allocated budget is R156 million, which will be spread over a period of three years. The budget amount allocated to the department is more or less the same amount that used to be allocated to the Office on the Status of Women, the Office on the Rights of the Child, and the Office on the Status of Disabled Persons, when these were still located within the Presidency. We thought that this Ministry would have the power to take the government to task. With a limited budget it is clear that it will not be able to do that.
Cope has a problem with the mandate of the department. It appears as if the portfolio committee and the department are not on the same level of understanding as to what the department's mandate is. The department is more focused on monitoring rather than implementing. It's more focused on monitoring whether other departments are gender sensitive rather than focusing on the implementation of policies and legislation. Who is supposed to monitor the implementation of the programmes of the Department of Women, Children and People With Disabilities by other departments if the department is not going to do that?
It also appears that there is an overlapping of roles between the portfolio committee and the department. Who is supposed to do the oversight role with regard to other departments if both the portfolio committee and the department are doing the same oversight role?
Another mandate is for the department to co-ordinate other departments in ensuring that the funds of Women, Children and People with Disabilities are utilised in a befitting manner. How are you going to co-ordinate if you don't have authority over the funds? Cope feels strongly that these funds and resources should be allocated within the Ministry.
With regard to the Commission for Gender Equality, it is very sad to acknowledge that the commission has a serious lack of leadership. The problem is that it has been changing leadership. The chairperson, the CEO and commissioners have been changed – I don't know how many times. The second issue is the misuse of funds. We seriously need to look at the recommendations based on the review made by Prof Kader Asmal.
In conclusion, women in Parliament, irrespective of their political affiliation, have a common purpose to serve, which is the women of South Africa, children, and people with disabilities. As the portfolio committee we need to report back to the multiparty women's caucus. What do we report? It is therefore critical that the mandate of the department be reviewed for the better. As women in Parliament we should work together to ensure that the Ministry is well resourced.
IsiXhosa:
Sihlalo, ukuze akhululeke amathambo omama ababeququzelela umqulu womama ka-1954, kufuneka lihlaziywe eli gunya. Enkosi. [Kwaqhwtywa.]
Ms S P LEBENYA-NTANZI
Ms S P RWEXANA
Ms S P LEBENYA-NTANZI: Hon Chairperson, hon Minister, Deputy Minister and hon members, the Minister was correct in thanking various women organisations and the role that they have played, but I think she forgot to mention the role played by the IFP Women's Brigade. [Applause.]
Our Constitution envisages a dual role for Parliament and parliamentarians, both in influencing the budget and in exercising oversight to ensure effectiveness and efficiency. But, most importantly, it places on our shoulders the mammoth task of ensuring that public spending translates into positive and meaningful changes in our communities.
Moreover, effective and transparent government budgeting is vital to any democracy, especially so in South Africa where there is massive poverty, inequality and unemployment. As we debate this Budget Vote today, it is therefore important that we take cognisance of these very important constitutional obligations and imperatives.
Whilst the IFP commends government for establishing this new Department of Women, Children and People with Disabilities, we have serious concerns about this budget and how it will impact on the department's ability to carry out its work.
It is of grave concern that this department, established to drive government's equity, equality and empowerment agenda of marginalised groups and historically disadvantaged communities, has only been allocated R156 million over a period of three years to achieve these goals.
Government pays mere lip service to the urgent need for the empowerment of women, children and people with disabilities. The IFP finds it extremely difficult to imagine how this department will be able to fulfil its mandate without the necessary funds to do so.
While government continues to throw billions in funds at money-gobbling public entities such as Eskom, it is deplorable that this department has been given Treasury's loose change with which they are now expected to perform miracles. It raises serious questions about whether this government is really committed to the protection, empowerment and development of the human potential of South Africa's women, children and people with disabilities.
With respect to how the department is planning to utilise its budget, my party and me have the following reservations. The new department seems to be focusing solely on policy formulation and policy review, but very little focus is being placed on the implementation of programmes at a grass-roots level. In addition, the department has set aside a lot of money for the development of documents and frameworks, all of which will have very little impact on the targeted sectors. Another concern is that the objectives of this new department seem to be similar to those of the Commission for Gender Equality, the Office on the Status of Women, and the Office on the Status of Children. This is distressing because we have learned from these institutions that lobbying and advocacy alone will not deliver the changes that our people so desperately desire from this new department.
Furthermore, it is also clear that this department does not have adequate plans in place on how to work with other departments and government institutions that have existing programmes in place which target similar sectors. In the interests of streamlining processes to ensure that we do not waste funds by duplicating programmes, I urge the hon Minister to put in place a clear plan of action in this regard.
The IFP believes that our country has good policies, but more often than not they remain mere pieces of paper which never see the light of day. We strongly believe that this department's modus operandi should focus on implementation, implementation and implementation.
The recent violent service delivery protests that we have seen all over the country have been a stark reminder that our people are fed up with the ruling party's empty promises. They want to see real opportunities being created. They want to see real development and real change. [Interjections.] Our women, children and disabled people have been marginalised ...
IsiZulu:
Ngiyazi ukuthi niyavumelana nami.[Uhleko.]
English:
... for decades. Now is the time to put an end to this discrimination and pave a new way forward. The time for talking is over, Minister. We now look to this new department to develop sustainable programmes and plans that will have a real affect on the ground.
In conclusion, I would like to add that the IFP supports this Budget Vote, but I want to remind the Minister that our women, children and disabled people, especially those in rural areas, are placing all their hopes on this new department and we dare not disappoint or fail them. I thank you, Chair. [Applause.]
GM//
NPM/IsiZulu
END OF TAKE
Mrs H H MALGAS
Ms S P LEBENYA-NTANZI
Mrs H H MALGAS: Chairperson, hon Minister, Deputy Minister present, hon members, I greet you all. I am both humbled and honoured to participate in this debate on the Budget Vote of the Department of Women, Children and People with Disabilities.
I thank the Minister for her comprehensive report. The establishment of this Ministry stems from a resolution that was taken at the historic Polokwane conference in 2007 at which the ANC Women's League motivated for a women's Ministry on behalf of the women of South Africa.
The establishment of the Department of Women, Children and People with Disabilities represents a progressive step forward for South Africa in its promotion of gender quality and women's empowerment and a better life for all.
We have to thank the ANC-led government for the establishment of this department, which is structurally different from what was envisaged in the mandate from the President. President Jacob Zuma, in his 2010 state of the nation address, outlined the strategic priorities for 2010. These priorities are identifiable in the 2009 manifesto of the ANC, and are as follows: education and skills development; ensuring a long and healthy life for all South Africans; rural development and land reform; the creation of decent work opportunities; and fighting crime.
These priorities are essential in the promotion of gender equality and women's empowerment in that they require a gender focus in order to impact positively on the quality of life of women. Poor and rural women represent the most vulnerable in society and, as such, require greater access to education and skills development, employment opportunities, improved health services and health care, and affordable housing and scaled-up infrastructure development.
The above-mentioned issues are interlinked and, as such, a holistic and co-ordinated governmental approach is required in order to effect real change in the lives of South African women. These initiatives have been spearheaded by the President, who has emphasised the importance of integrating a gendered approach in government service delivery. As such, President Jacob Zuma has prioritised women's service delivery needs into the government's programme of action. We therefore thank the President for his foresight and wisdom in the transformation of the state machinery for the emancipation of women.
In 1994, President Nelson Mandela stated in his first address to Parliament that "freedom cannot be achieved unless women have been emancipated from all forms of oppression". This maxim serves as a benchmark on which many gender activists base their judgment of the liberation of women in this country.
South Africans continue to suffer undue hardship owing to the lasting legacy of apartheid. Black South Africans, who represented the majority of the population, were discriminated against. Black women, in particular, regardless of their status in life, experienced oppression based not only on their race, but also on their gender and class. It is therefore critical that government programmes directly address the needs of women in line with the needs for social spending, the eradication of poverty and job creation.
I would like to speak to the mandate of the department. The mandate of the department – that is, its role – is essential to translate constitutional imperatives, international obligations, policy pronouncements and legislation into measurable and meaningful objectives. The aim of this department is, therefore, to drive, accelerate and oversee government's equity, equality and empowerment agenda of women with a particular focus on the poor and rural communities. [Applause.]
The department indicated that they will achieve these aims through collaborating with civil society, and civil society is here today; improving the planning alignment among the three spheres of government; monitoring policy implementation and the attainment of targets as they relate to halving poverty and unemployment by 2014; and developing global partnerships to strengthen the development of women.
I think my chairperson alluded to the fact that, while women constitute 52% of the South African population, they represent the most vulnerable and impoverished in our country. If one examines the total budget allocation of R97 million to the Department of Women, Children and People with Disabilities, one would find that it constitutes only 0,02% of the total appropriation of all departmental Votes. Therefore it is the smallest allocation of all the Votes. This allocation does not speak to the allocations of other departmental programmes that relate to women. At present the allocation of R7,1 million for the Empowerment of Women and Gender Equality programme represents a meagre expenditure of R3,16 per woman in South Africa. I would like to reiterate that this excludes what is allocated to women's issues or programmes in other departments. I would like to appeal to National Treasury to heed the calls of various gender activists. I will start first with Debbie Budlender, who asserts that the budget process is but a relationship exercise. In terms of the budget for the improvement of the quality of life and status of women, Parliament needs to exercise its oversight function by being able to effect tangible changes to budgetary allocations to specific departments.
In motivating for the importance of the empowerment of women and for the budget to be engendered, the then Chairperson of the Commission for Gender Equality, Her Excellency Thenjiwe Mtintso – who is also a member of the central committee of the SA Communist Party and a member of the national executive committee of the ANC – said:
You can escape from racism by going home and shutting the door. You can't escape from gender discrimination in the same way, because it is about power relations that actually start at home, with the way in which boys and girls are socialised. Women's experiences are however mediated by race, urban or rural location, age, disability, sexual preference, religion and culture. These shape the relative weight of our burdens, the degree of invisibility of our contribution inside and outside the home and the silencing of our voices. This is a clear indication of how women were discriminated against.
As the ANC-led government, it is critical that we create a budget that enhances the vision of building a caring society and that works towards a peaceful, national, democratic society. It is imperative that we do not perpetuate the mistakes of the previous gender-neutral budgets. Instead, we should motivate for a gender-responsive budget for this department.
I would like to give an example in order to illustrate the way in which the portfolio committee envisages how the department should give effect to their mandate. Cassandra Baadjies, who is 24 years old, is a professional sister with a Bachelor of Nursing Science Degree, B Cur. She completed her community nursing year in the peri-urban areas of the Eastern Cape at the Settler's Hospital in Grahamstown. Her decision was to study further and do her Masters degree in neonatal care. She passed the first year of her masters degree. That is a scarce skill that is required to address the Millennium Development Goal 4 of reducing child mortality by two thirds by 2015.
Ms Baadjies has several challenges, such as upskilling herself and finding employment in a sector where skills are regarded as critical as they have a direct impact on the health outcomes of children. However, it is hard for her to find employment at the provincial hospitals which have midwifery posts. Even if she is the preferred candidate, nurses at certain hospitals, it is assumed, are only allowed to study after five years of employment.
This is but one of the many challenges facing South Africa, be it the feminisation of poverty, the slow progress with regards to attaining Millennium Development Goals 3 and 4 on child survival and maternal health – also stated here by the Minister – or addressing unemployment that gravely affects youth and the gendered implications thereof. The department has a very important role to play in addressing the aforementioned challenges by working collaboratively with the respective departments concerned to ensure that the rights of women and children and people with disabilities are fulfilled.
When it comes to Members of Parliament, the women belong to a women's caucus and they need to interrogate the budgets of the different departments in the committees they serve. A situation that we would like to see is the following, as taken from the ATC of the Eastern Cape provincial legislature and relating to the annual reports of 2008. The Department of Local Government and Traditional Affairs, a corporate service today, was headed then by MEC Thoko Xasa, who is today the Deputy Minister. These are the recommendations made by the portfolio committee to her then department.
Firstly, the department should submit to the committee a co-ordinated action plan with regards to a special programme unit for all municipalities. Secondly, the department should give the committee disaggregated data of all disabled women in their employ, at provincial and municipal levels. Thirdly, the department must ensure that they come up with a plan that ensures that there is a gender balance at the top senior management level. That is how we work together with the department.
When we as a committee scrutinise the reports on Budget Votes to Parliament, which are in the ATCs, we would like to see such findings and recommendations with written replies from the departments on such recommendations after 30 days of tabling of the departmental reports.
In conclusion, I would like to make an appeal to all stakeholders: For this department to be successful we need to move forward together: the Ministry, all Ministers from the different departments, public representatives, the national gender machinery, nongovernmental organisations and other relevant stakeholders should fully commit themselves to these processes. Let 10 years down the line be a watershed moment in history when we can proclaim and celebrate the positive impact this department has had on the lives of women.
Together we can do more. The ANC support this Budget Vote. Thank you. [Applause.]
C.I//nvs
END OF TAKE
Mrs C DUDLEY
Mrs H H MALGAS
Mrs C DUDLEY: Thank you, Chair. Hon Minister, the ACDP wishes you every success in the task ahead of you. We will support this Budget Vote despite the obvious challenges and budget limitations.
We note the priorities outlined by the department are in line with the priorities outlined in the 2010 state of the nation address in relation to improved performance monitoring and evaluation, in relation to improved access to rights and development opportunities for women, children and people with disabilities, and in relation to the department's focus on the protection of the rights of persons infected and affected by HIV and Aids.
It has not been clear, however, how existing priorities are specifically aimed at supporting and protecting family life. Hon Minister, in the department's "Mandate Implementation Improvement Plan", the first point the department makes is, and I quote:
Family life is critical for delivery on the rights of women, children and persons with disabilities ... Strengthening of family structures is therefore an important element of successful delivery on the rights of persons in these vulnerable groups.
The ACDP believes the people of South Africa would like to hear more about how the department plans to prioritise this aspect – and you did speak to some related issues in your speech today.
It is our understanding, hon Minister, that a substantial amount of the budget for Women, Children and People with Disabilities has been allocated to the Commission for Gender Equality. Is it correct to say that this reportedly dysfunctional body, which independent auditors have recommended be placed under mentorship, will be taking up half the department's budget?
Despite extremely limited resources, the department aims to prioritise a comprehensive national early childhood development programme to facilitate the 75% reach of early childhood development programmes in especially rural, farm and poor communities; eradicate 75% of the street and begging children phenomenon through sustainable systems of rehabilitation, reintegration into family and community life and preventative measures; and strengthen HIV and Aids, gender and disability-related child rights, and safety on long-distance travel to schools. It is not clear how the department will be expected to contribute in terms of those priorities in relation to other departments.
There are approximately 18,3 million children living in South Africa. The allocated budget of R7,1 million for the children's programme amounts to an expenditure of R2,65 per child, an enormous challenge.
Programme 4 has also been allocated R7,1 million to meet the challenge of existing disability targets and the finalising of the draft national disability policy. There are an estimated 1,9 million people living with a disability in South Africa. This constitutes approximately 4% of the total population – another enormous challenge.
In June 2009 the Minister referred to an immediate deliverable of the department, being the establishment of a fund for women's empowerment aimed at enabling women to start their own businesses, and assisting NGOs and civil society in the undertaking of women empowerment programmes. Very exciting. To what extent has this fund been established and what financial resources have or will be dedicated to it? I thank you. [Time expired.] [Applause.]
Mr G J SELAU
Mrs C DUDLEY
Mr G J SELAU: Chairperson, normally when we say "Malibongwe" we mean "Malibongwe igama lamakhosikazi." [Praise the name of women.]. But this time I have become part of them.
Hon Chairperson, hon Minister, my colleagues, members of the public - all protocol has now been observed. Allow me, Chairperson, to break the tension by saying that I feel that the Parliament of the Republic of South Africa is here, and I feel the atmosphere in our beloved country as the host of the world's most popular event in sport, the Fifa Soccer World Cup. It is here.
In about 56 days from now South Africa and Mexico will open the competition at Soccer City stadium in Johannesburg. All the eyes of the world will be on us South Africans, on the country, on the host and on our team Bafana Bafana. Halala! We wish you all the best, Bafana. [Applause.]
Coming back to the day's business, hon Chairperson, we are gathered in your august House today in order to debate, pass and legislate the budget, the programmes and appointments of the Department of Women, Children and People with Disabilities, and thereafter to conduct oversight of the department as it implements these.
I have been asked to focus on children – the future nation – and in this Budget Vote I am doing exactly that.
As we deal with matters affecting society, our starting point should be to build a nonracial, nonsexist, democratic and prosperous South African and African world order, and we view children as a dynamic and strategic foundation of this struggle.
Vulnerable as they are, we have the biggest challenge of protecting and guiding them to be this nation of the future. Government, the state machinery and parents together should play a pivotal role in ensuring our success in this endeavour – and I mean, our success, all of us, and not of the ruling party only. Parliamentary portfolio committees in all affected departments have to play a key oversight role as we move forward.
I want to refer to an extract by Comrade Joel Netshitenzhe, a member of the ANC national executive council, from his document titled "State and revolution in our times", from the publication Umrabulo No 32, 1st Quarter 2010. He states, and I quote: "The state does not exist for its own sake, but as a critical instrument in ensuring the realisation of the strategic objective of the liberation movement."
Whereas this extract was meant for the bigger picture covering the period post 1994 to date and covering a whole range of areas over and above children, in this regard we must look at the role of the state as it impacts on nation-building with specific reference to the care of children, our future society.
At their national conference in December 2007 in Polokwane, the ANC resolved the following: one, that the best interests of the children should be paramount, with child-headed households a priority for protection and care; two, prioritise the welfare of children, and in this regard develop, monitor and measure the tools that define and deal with child poverty; three, strengthen the current safety nets that deal with child poverty, ongoing murders, disappearances, abuse and neglect; four, strengthen the childhood development centres and urge communities to understand and deal seriously with the rights of children; five, develop a comprehensive strategy on early childhood development; six, the conference sent a message of condolence to all families that have missing children and to families of children killed by adults – and I want us to underline this – children that were killed by adults that were meant to protect them; lastly, the ANC conference also expressed abhorrence at the circumstances under which these children died and committed to continuing to seek justice to bring the perpetrators to book.
This is the mandate that the ANC, the ruling party, has with regard to children.
Let me take this opportunity to make reference to the general household survey of 2006, as released by Statistics SA in 2007. With regard to the report, we are informed about the challenges we all face as South Africans and, more importantly, that we face these challenges as a society rather than as parties opposing one another for political gain.
The report states that there were 18 292 000 children between the ages of 0 and 17 across the colour line in South Africa that year. Of these children, 614 000 – which constitutes 3,4% - were maternal orphans; 2 364 000 million were paternal orphans; and 701 000 were double orphans. This total means there are 3 767 718 orphaned children in the country.
This report reflects how serious the challenge of nation-building is for this nation as we continue to seek solutions to child poverty and other matters affecting South Africa's future nation, our children. Other key challenges facing the children of South Africa include HIV and Aids ... how many minutes do I have left? Oh, half a minute. They include HIV and Aids, low birth weights, diarrhoeal diseases, respiratory infections and so on.
Investing in children in South Africa has enshrined children's rights in the Constitution, the supreme law of this country that was designed to respect, protect, promote and fulfil the rights of all people of this country. This commitment resonates strongly with international sentiments as articulated by the United Nations. I will not go into that any further because there isn't time. This is also articulated by the United Kingdom, the United Nations Children's Fund and the World Health Organisation.
I haven't touched on all my points. I would like to conclude ...
The TEMPORARY CHAIRPERSON (Dr T S Farisani): Conclude, hon member.
Mr G J SELAU: I would like to conclude by saying that the ANC supports the Minister in her endeavours to change the lives of the people of South Africa for the better. The ANC manifesto reads ...
The TEMPORARY CHAIRPERSON (Dr T S Farisani): Your time has expired.
Mr G J SELAU: Thank you, Chairperson. [Applause.]
The TEMPORARY CHAIRPERSON (Dr T S Farisani): Hon member, in fact you wasted some of your time by saying your time had expired when it had not expired. [Laughter.] And just a word of congratulations: since we started these debates hon members have refined their skills of huddling and whispering so perfectly that they now do this without destabilising the debate. I want to congratulate you on that. [Applause.] In fact, I am so persuaded the proceedings would proceed, I could leave the Chair without a Chair if nature called. [Laughter.]
LB/
END OF TAKE
Mrs I C DITSHETELO
Mr G J SELAU
Mrs I C DITSHETELO: Chairperson, hon Minister and Deputy Minister, hon members and all invited guests, there is no life without women. That's a sure fact.
Gender equality and the wellbeing of children go hand in hand. Gender equality furthers the cause of child survival and development, and produces a double dividend in that it benefits both women and children. Healthy, educated and empowered women have healthy, educated and confident daughters and sons. Gender equality will not only empower women to overcome poverty and live full and productive lives, but will better the lives of children, families and countries as well.
Women's equal rights and influence in key decisions that shape their lives and those of children must be enhanced in three distinct areas: the household, the workplace and the political sphere. Former President Thabo Mbeki said in 1998: When we are measuring our progress, we must measure it against the progress we make among women. The majority of the poor are women, particularly rural women, particularly black women. Sadly, 12 years later, this is still the case.
The feminisation of poverty is a growing phenomenon and women are increasingly the ones who suffer the most in poverty.
We now have a Ministry of Women, Children and People with Disabilities and, quite frankly, one doesn't know whether this is to be celebrated or not. The budget that's been allocated to the Ministry is disheartening. The UCDP believes that we must go back to the drawing board and properly conceptualise this Ministry and what it is expected to do and how it should go about doing it.
The biggest obstacle to gender equality has not been a lack of gender-sensitive legislation, but implementation. And the Ministry needs to be properly constituted, properly placed, and properly mandated and capacitated in order to tackle issues of implementation.
Notwithstanding this, the UCDP supports the Budget Vote, but maintains that gender equality is not only morally right, it is pivotal to human progress and sustainable development. Achieving Millennium Development Goal No 3 of promoting gender equality and empowering women will also contribute to achieving all the other goals: from reducing poverty and hunger, saving children's lives, improving maternal health, ensuring universal education, combating HIV and Aids and malaria and other diseases to ensuring environmental sustainability. Still, again, we support the Budget Vote. Thank you. [Time expired.] [Applause.]
Mr C D KEKANA
Mrs I C DITSHETELO
Mr C D KEKANA: Chair, hon Minister, hon chair of the portfolio committee, hon members of the portfolio committee and ladies and gentlemen, in 1999 the United Nations declared that South Africa had the worst conditions of poverty for people with disabilities.
Now today my subject is disability, and from the word go I want to say that I support this budget, though it is way below our expectations and in terms of what we think the challenges are.
Immediately after the United Nations declared South Africa as having the worst conditions of poverty for people with disabilities, a desk for the disabled was established in the Office of the Presidency. We celebrated because we thought the desk had been elevated to the highest level and highest office of the nation and that, as a result, it would receive the attention it deserved.
Today it has been moved out of the Presidency and a Ministry has been established, and we are hoping that because it is now a Ministry, it will be afforded the necessary capacity and resources that it needs. I must say that we hope that this will be addressed in time because it is indeed way below our expectations.
Before I go further, I just want to quickly outline what we mean by disability. We mean physical disabilities - speech, sight, hearing - and we mean mental, emotional and intellectual disabilities. People must be aware that if they allow their emotions to run away with them, they could fall into these categories. [Laughter.]
The definition of disability is twofold: welfarist and philanthropic. Welfarist is when you receive grants from a state welfare system like ours; and philanthropic is when you receive donations from kind and compassionate members of society, including the private sector. That is fine because it does help the disabled, but it does make the disabled dependent. That is perpetual because the dependency syndrome is not resolved.
Today, in South Africa, there are some statistics, like those of the South African census, that say there are 2 million disabled people. Other calculations extend this figure to 4,5 million. Of the 2 million on state welfare or grants, about 1,3 million disabled people are recipients. So, you can see that there is a heavy dependence on the government.
The other definition says: create the right environment for disabled people and they will be able to be productive and to contribute to society. In fact, some great people, like President Roosevelt of America, were disabled people. He sat in a wheelchair, and because people always saw the top half of his body, they were not even aware that he was disabled.
There are many others in history who contributed, not just to society, but to the history of the development of mankind. So, we encourage the second definition of creating the right environment. This is because the environment is designed to suit the needs of able-bodied people. And disabled people are saying, inasmuch as you have designed the environment, whether it is a work, school or sports environment - all kinds of environments – it is actually designed to suit the needs and interests of able-bodied people.
I must warn everybody because today you never know – from the lifestyles we lead, the car accidents we could have, the food we eat, the wars we fight and the crime we are exposed to – what fate will befall you. In fact, I then argue that disability is the potential fate of 45 million people because anybody could end up disabled, though I don't wish that. Anybody could end up being disabled if the finger of fate pointed in that direction. So, it's better if we prepare the environment for disability, because we'll be preparing a better world for all of us.
I want to quickly go to issues of employment, which are very important. What you see happening today with disability is that there's a lot of prejudice and stigma around it. The history that we come from is one in which some children were hidden in their backyards so that society wouldn't ever see that they were disabled.
Today, we say: just create the environment. Disability is a phenomenon that we must accept as a society, as the human race, and we must deal with it because it is there. And I've told you – it is increasing all over the world. Today the world has about 1,2 billion people with disabilities, and that number is increasing at a very fast rate because of the lifestyles we lead. I've said what I mean by that.
In places of employment the quota says that we must employ 2% disabled people nationally - in the public and private sectors. Even in the public sector the 2% has declined. Only 0,5% of people with disabilities are employed. This is because a lot of companies and even a lot of us in government are not willing to employ people with disabilities and give the necessary backup to people with disabilities to be enabled in their job situations.
When things are done for disabled people, you get the feeling that a big favour has been done for them. When you create the right environment for able-bodied people, they just say that they need office equipment and stationery for their offices. That's the normal thing: to buy stationery. These are the necessary devices and aids even for the disabled, inasmuch as you need stationery and office equipment to operate properly. Even disabled people need those devices and aids - stationery and office equipment - and that are specially designed for their needs. So all we are asking is for people with disabilities to operate properly at schools. Teachers must be properly trained to teach people with disabilities, because we want them to go into mainstream education and be in class and compete just like all other students are competing. I can tell you some of them would beat you in mathematics and science. [Laughter.] [Applause.]
We want to say, finally, that the United Nations Convention has a treaty and South Africa today is a signatory to that treaty. The Minister did touch on this. The treaty is about enforcing human rights for people with disabilities all over the world, because they are not subhuman, though, at times, you get the sense that they are actually subhuman. They are fully-fledged human beings, and they have human rights and those human rights must be protected.
The treaty is about that, and we are a signatory to it. In South Africa there must be an Act on disability. This is still being prepared. The debate about the Act is whether the Act must be a stand-alone Act on disability or whether, because this is an issue that cuts across other Ministries, legislation should be effected in Health, Housing, Education, Labour and many other Ministries.
I'm just mentioning that. We're going to legislate on disability because we are signatories to the treaty on human rights for the disabled. Chair, I want to thank you for affording us the opportunity to present our case, and we support the Budget Vote. [Applause.]
END OF TAKE/ARM/LB edited. Please do not alter
Mrs P C DUNCAN
Mr C D KEKANA
The TEMPORARY CHAIRPERSON (Dr T S Farisani): An additional minute has been added through the generosity of the hon Robinson to the hon P C Duncan. [Applause.]
Afrikaans:
Me P C DUNCAN: Voorsitter, ek wil my opregte dank uitspreek teenoor die Parlementêre navorserspan bestaande uit Kashifa Abrahams, Crystal Levandale, Gary Rhoda, en Tasneem Matthews, onder leiding van die senior navorser, Joy Watson, in besonder vir hul doelgerigtheid en vir die uitstekende navorsingswerk gelewer aan die Portefeuljekomitee oor Vroue, Kinders en Mense met Gestremdhede.
English:
Many thanks also go to Ms Barbara Thomson, our chairperson. She is the most impartial chairperson that I have met in my political career. It is a great disappointment that the previous Office on the Rights of the Child, Office on the Status of Women, and Office on the Status of Disabled Persons that were initiated during the first democratic parliamentary period since 1997, and irrespective of being placed under the highest authority of our country being the Presidency, lacked sustainable political will. This lack of political will is especially evident in the inability of the Presidency to capacitate and use these structures optimally in achieving the desired impact right through to the period of the Fourth Parliament. So, the national ANC-led government without question has failed women, children and people with disabilities.
Was there really a need for a new Ministry if the introduction of a new Ministry, in essence, is still the same as the previous structures? I will be so bold as to say no, because the structural changes to a Ministry do not ensure better or more dedicated specific service delivery to these sectors. Instead, it means that money must now be used to physically establish a completely new department, to recruit critical skills and competencies, as well as for personnel compensation. We must stop reinventing the wheel.
Would it, then, not have been better to improve the old structures and to have left them under the highest authority of the country, namely the Presidency? The Ministry and department have now been established by the President, so it is probably unlikely that the functional responsibility of staying in the Presidency will be reconsidered strategically. This new Ministry therefore will have the unresolved challenges the previous structures had, as well as added ones, such as the Commission for Gender Equality.
Having said this, it is thus important to highlight some of the areas that need urgent attention should this new Ministry and department be expected to function optimally. Firstly, the lack of adequate resources, both financial and human, to deliver on South Africa's international and national GDC - gender, disability and children - obligations must be resolved as a matter of urgency. The R97,8 million budget allocated to the department, inclusive of the R51,9 million for the CGE, constitutes 0,02% of the total appropriation of all department Votes. It is one thing to put a structure in place, but it is quite another to demonstrate that the structure is able to sustainably perform its mandate, especially if the mandate is extended.
Secondly, the report of the Auditor-General reveals ... Sorry, there goes my one minute. [Laughter.] For example, additional tasks added to the Ministry are that of the management of the relationship between government and the CGE through a transfer payment, something which was not part of the previous structure. The management of this relationship in itself requires dedicated personnel, especially in terms of the Public Finance Management Act. The Public Finance Management Act indicates that it is the responsibility of the accounting officer for a department to ensure that expenditure of the department and the main divisions within the Vote are in accordance with the Vote of the department. This, in effect, means more responsibility for an already underresourced department. The department has accounting responsibilities for a chapter 9 institution whose budget is even bigger than its own.
Secondly, the report of the Auditor-General reveals that they could not express an opinion on the financial statements of the CGE for the 2007-08 financial year, owing to insufficient appropriate audit evidence as this could not be obtained, and this is a further great concern for the newly established Ministry. This opinion, in simple words, means wasteful and fruitless expenditure.
As the DA, we stand solid in combating corruption. I therefore express my discontent with the CGE. As an independent state institution, its primary function is the following: "The Commission for Gender Equality must promote respect for gender equality and the protection, development and attainment of gender equality." It is failing women's empowerment in gender equality in this country dismally, and its existence should be revisited without fear or favour.
When looking at the three sectors within the budget respectively, the women's programme has a mere R7,1 million, the children's programme the same, and the disability programme also has a budget of R7,1 million. Perhaps this increased budget could have improved on the 2008-09 budget of the old structures and be used to address the long-standing challenges of the lack of adequate human and financial resources far better.
According to the Ministry, it will take three years to fully establish the new department. This is a concern. Currently, the department is in a marginalised situation in the broader budget allocations. I want to urge Treasury to reconsider the amount of R346 million that was originally proposed by the department, as the department intends working across all departments, as well as all spheres of government. This is something that the previous structures struggled with tremendously in terms of adequate human resources.
Furthermore, the department's mandate, in broad terms, is to deal with human rights concerns, which often remain marginalised in the mainstream of government work. The many manifestations of the marginalisation of human rights and equality concerns, as perpetuated by government itself, are unacceptable, and this must stop.
In my maiden speech, I said that the role and responsibility of all departments do not suddenly disappear with the emergence of this new Ministry. The responsibility is on the whole of government, if this new Ministry wishes to be a success. I also said that the bulk of the resources continue to be within all other departments in the different spheres of government, nongovernmental organisations and the private sector.
Having said the above, the department, after proclamation, now has the authority to hold all government departments responsible and accountable for delivery within their line functions. Departments are also responsible and accountable for allocating budgets for dedicated and mainstreamed actions so that the fulfilment of the rights of women, children and people with disabilities can be achieved. Surely, this must be supported.
Lastly, the government's adopting of an outcomes-based service delivery model has my dedicated support. This will give us the opportunity to measure where the budget spending in all departments indeed has the necessary sustainable effect on the lives of all our people. I thank you. [Applause.]
/Mia
END OF TAKE
Mrs D M RAMODIBE
Mrs P C DUNCAN
Mrs D M RAMODIBE: Hon Chairperson, hon Minister, hon Deputy Minister, hon members, ladies and gentlemen, the department was established following the resolutions taken at the Polokwane Conference of 2007. In his state of the nation address, the President said:
We are building a performance-oriented state, by improving planning as well as performance monitoring and evaluation. We also need to integrate gender equity measures into the government's programme of action. This action will ensure that women, children and persons with disabilities can access developmental opportunities.
This came about after the realisation that the previous Office on the Status of Women, the Office on the Rights of the Child and the Office on the Status of Disabled Persons had not adequately provided strategic leadership and management of the issues affecting these groups. Thus, the new Ministry will ensure that the necessary authority engenders government programmes, including empowerment and the development of children and people with disabilities.
My focus area is on the Commission for Gender Equality, the CGE. The Commission for Gender Equality is an independent statutory body established in terms of section 187(9) of the Constitution of South Africa, Act 108 of 1996. In terms of the powers and functions of the Commission on Gender Equality Act, Act 39 of 1996, section 11(1) - I'm not going to dwell on all the functions but mention just two – the commission "shall evaluate any Act of Parliament; any system of personal and family law or custom; any system of indigenous law, customs or practices; or any other law, in force at the commencement of this Act or any law proposed by Parliament or any other legislature after the commencement of this Act, affecting or likely to affect gender equality or the status of women and make recommendations to Parliament". Secondly, the commission "shall monitor and evaluate policies and practices of organs of state at any level; statutory bodies or functionaries; public bodies and authorities; and private businesses, enterprises and institutions, in order to promote gender equality and may make any recommendations that the Commission deems necessary".
These are some of the functions. I will not mention the other owing to time constraints.
This commission has since been placed under the women Ministry in terms of which the Portfolio Committee on Women, Children and People with Disabilities – which is already overloaded – will be required to perform oversight.
The amount of R48,3 million has been allocated to the Commission for Gender Equality under the Women Ministry budget. Previously, the Commission for Gender Equality was funded by transfer payments from the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development under its annual and associated service programmes for the period 2009-10. No explanation was provided as to why the commission's budget was allocated in this Ministry. When the department was asked, it also could not provide us with an answer.
The Commission for Gender Equality has been unstable for quite some time. Different chairpersons, chief executive officers and commissioners have come and gone, hence the difficulty of accountability as to who should be held responsible. They have not been able to present their annual reports for two consecutive years. These were only handed in this week, Wednesday, 14 April 2010, and have not been formally presented to the committee. As for the financial statements, they have received qualified reports and now they have received an adverse report.
During their interaction at a meeting with the Standing Committee on Public Accounts, Scopa, to which the Portfolio Committee on Women, Children and People with Disabilities was invited, the commission could not adequately answer many questions put to them. It is evident from the response by the commission that they lack capacity and that there are no proper systems in place to enable them to meet their obligations. There seems to have been improper conduct, the misappropriation of funds and mismanagement by staff members at the commission. It is also not convincing as to why Treasury continues to allocate money to this commission when it continues to get the reports that it does from the Auditor-General.
The question is: How has the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development monitored the financial management and service delivery performance of the Commission for Gender Equality? Also, has the department ensured that this money was accounted for, as it should? No annual reports have been tabled for the commission against which to measure progress and expenditure.
It is not clear whether the Commission for Gender Equality has met its reporting obligations to the Portfolio Committee on Justice and Constitutional Development over the past three years. It is not clear the extent to which the Commission for Gender Equality has delivered on its mandate over the past three years, particularly as a result of the lack of reporting. It also means that the commission did not submit their quarterly reports in accordance with the Public Finance Management Act.
The Portfolio Committee on Women, Children and People with Disabilities still needs to get an explanation as to why and how the Commission for Gender Equality's budget was placed under this Ministry.
In conclusion, the lack of knowledge by the department concerning the CGE programmes, role and budgetary allocations leaves much to be desired, since the committee is concerned about the duplication between the CGE and the women empowerment and gender equality programme. The ANC supports the budget. Thank you. [Applause.]
MS
END OF TAKE
The MINISTER OF WOMEN, CHILDREN AND PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES
Mrs D M RAMODIBE
The MINISTER OF WOMEN, CHILDREN AND PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES: Chairperson, firstly, I wish to welcome and express appreciation for the presence of the President of the Pan-African Women's Organisation. [Applause.]
I also welcome and appreciate the vibrant debate and the spirit of today's maiden Budget Vote debate. I also take note of the input by hon members on the programmes and projects of the department. I wish to state that the department intends to make a catalytic project of the closing of the gaps in the provision of services and also in terms of projects that would make an impact on the three sectors we are representing.
We have heard the concerns on the state of affairs facing the Commission for Gender Equality and, I think, one must emphasise that we will be and are engaging the CGE on measures to resolve the challenges of this important chapter 9 institution.
I also wish to reassure this House that we will follow through with the recommendations of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts, Scopa.
Irrespective of the challenges facing the CGE currently, the country cannot afford to lose an institution like this one. All of us need to work together, not just the department but also Parliament and civil society as a whole to ensure that we have a strengthened Commission for Gender Equality that has clarity about its mandate and that has the capacity to deliver on its mandate. [Applause.]
With regard to the limited resources given to the department, we note the concerns. But I want to reiterate what I said earlier in my opening input: that the amount allocated to the department and agreed to by Cabinet is limited as compared to the magnitude of the task of transforming our society for the benefit of women, children and people with disabilities. It is, however, the policy of our government to mainstream the programmes throughout government systems. So, on that issue, we have noted the concerns that have been raised by hon members.
On the question raised today as to whether we are better off now with the Ministry than before, I can say with confidence while standing here that indeed we are better of. [Applause.] Previously, we held offices called the Office on the Status of Women, the Office on the Rights of the Child and the Office on the Status of Disabled Persons and so on. Now we have a fully fledged Ministry and department that must drive transformation in our society to benefit the groupings that are represented. [Applause.] So, that is progress. That's progress we must appreciate.
The question is: How then do we build on this progress? How then do we do so collectively, all of us: the women of this country and our children who also have a voice and whose rights we must defend and advance, the people who are living with disabilities whose voice must be heard by all of us and whose interests must be advanced? We now have an institution in government that will help us to drive these processes. So, in my view, I stand here respectfully to say with the utmost confidence that we are indeed better off. [Applause.]
There is an article in the Mail & Guardian of today which raises issues about the severity of the underrepresentation of women in the private sector, which is a concern for all of us. Now, such a situation requires a political vehicle with which to tackle it. Therefore, in my view, the Ministry and the department are such a vehicle for transforming our society for the benefit of women, children and people with disabilities.
As women in this Parliament we will not wait another 30, 40 or 50 years for gender parity to occur. We will ensure that together, working with all the stakeholders in our country, we hasten the process of change for women and people with disabilities, focusing particularly on equity targets, amongst other things. We will certainly play our oversight role and ensure that the whole of government has programmes and funding benefiting women, children and people with disabilities.
The President has already stated a number of times that this Ministry has an oversight role. We have to ensure that that statement of the President is actualised. I think hon member Rwexana is mixing up issues by confusing the mandate of the Ministry with that of the portfolio committee. The hon member must refer to the statements made by the President, which give the complete mandate of why it was necessary for the ANC to establish the Ministry of Women, Children and People with Disabilities.
Furthermore, the provisions of our Constitution also assist in ensuring that the debate is taken forward, understanding that we need to move further in promoting and advancing the rights of women, children and people with disabilities.
Regarding the input by members about the mandate, I think I have said enough, but I want to acknowledge that there is indeed a difference between our expectations as women, children and people with disabilities and the legal documents that constitute the establishment of the department.
When the Ministry was established there was a lot of debate on the merits of having a cluttered Ministry; on not having a single Ministry for women and so on. We have gone beyond that debate. We now have a Ministry that represent three groups in our society, and therefore we need to be concerned about how we strengthen the Ministry to meet the mandate and the expectations of the three groupings represented by this Ministry and department. [Applause.] So, I don't expect that you go back to that issue all the time. The Ministry has three groupings. That is the reality, and for the next five years we have to make the best of that reality in terms of ensuring that ... [Inaudible.] [Applause.]
I would like to reassure hon member Lebenya-Ntanzi of the IFP that we will not fail women, children and people with disabilities.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr K O Bapela): Your time has expired, Minister. Could you just conclude. Thank you very much. [Applause.]
Hon Mayende-Sibiya, I am sorry but time is against you. Hon members, I also want to echo the sentiments of the Minister by welcoming the Madam President of the Pan-African Women's Organisation, all NGOs and CPOs that are in the gallery - and even the children there - representing these special categories of women, children and people with disabilities. [Applause.]
I also wish to announce that after we have adjourned, the Minister will be handing over wheelchairs to certain learners in this venue. Members may wish to stay behind to witness the session. So, please if you could, honour it, because people will be coming down from the gallery to receive the wheelchairs. So, please stay if possible.
Debate concluded.
The Committee rose at 12:19.
VM/
END OF TAKE
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