Hansard: Appropriation Bill: Vote No 18 – Social Development

House: National Assembly

Date of Meeting: 22 Apr 2010

Summary

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Minutes

FRIDAY, 23 APRIL 2010

PROCEEDINGS OF EXTENDED PUBLIC COMMITTEE – OLD ASSEMBLY CHAMBER

________

Members of the Extended Public Committee met in the Old Assembly Chamber at 10:01.

House Chairperson Ms M N Oliphant, as Chairperson, took the Chair and requested members to observe a moment of silence for prayers or meditation.

The MINISTER OF SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT


Start of Day

APPROPRIATION BILL

Vote No 18 – Social Development:

The MINISTER OF SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT: Chairperson, hon Deputy Minister, hon MECs for social development here present, hon Members of Parliament, all distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, thank you and good morning. During the course of last year, and against the backdrop of the persistent legacy of apartheid deprivation, and in the context of the worst global financial and economic crisis since the 1930s, Social Development continued to prevail, to make real and measurable progress and to bring hope to millions of South Africans, hope that is not just a dream, but a way of making dreams become reality.

Social Development has implemented its mandate through its key areas, namely social security, welfare services and integrated development. We have had the opportunity to speak to hon members and give account on these three areas throughout the year. We are still waging a war for economic opportunity, social justice and social inclusion. "The contradictions in our society are explosive," to quote Frantz Fanon, author of The Wretched of the Earth.Many millions of our people eke out a living as they are preoccupied solely with survival. Over 5,2 million South Africans are jobless. For many, when work is available, pay is low and conditions are often barely tolerable. Social security schemes and benefits, such as unemployment insurance, retirement savings and sickness or death cover for dependants of wage earners, remain elusive.

Permanent insecurity is the condition of the poor. Floods, droughts and disease, affecting people or livestock, can destroy livelihoods. Vulnerability to these phenomena is exacerbated by environmental factors such as climate change and global warming.

Persons with disabilities constitute the most vulnerable section of our society. Disability is linked to poverty, while the elderly face the additional burden of abuse, over and over again, often by members of their households.

In the midst of such despair, the poor turn on themselves in violent ruptures and social convulsions. Women and children often suffer the brunt of such paroxysms and their ability to make choices is extremely limited. Choices about sexual orientation, resource allocation and reproduction often lead to women being lampooned and lambasted. The youth turn to crime and gangsterism, substance abuse and other conduct, leading to self-destruction in their sense of hopelessness.

The combination of malnutrition, illiteracy, disease, underemployment and low income closes off avenues of escape. It is a picture that as Minister of Social Development I see all too often, and it brings a lump to anyone's throat and tears to the eyes. Yet there are those among us who blame the poor for the conditions they find themselves in. They conveniently forget that poverty is systemic. Give them a rod to fish, they say. Frantz Fanon said so poignantly, "The life of our nation is shot through with a certain falseness and hypocrisy, which are all the more tragic because they are so often subconscious rather than deliberate." George Bernard Shaw argued, "Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything."

While building on the progress that has been made, the ANC's 2009 manifesto is about a change in gear - no pun intended! The measures are responsive - they make real commitments and give hope for a better tomorrow for the majority of our people. The ANC's manifesto outlines five clear achievable objectives: education, health, decent jobs, safe and secure communities, and rural development. We made these commitments, we promised to deliver them, and Budget Vote 18 contributes to their realisation. These commitments flow from the tenets of the Freedom Charter, and they are encoded in the Constitution, whose main drafter is the ANC.

In line with the President's call, we will make this a year of actionin executing our social development initiatives. We'll make good on the President's promise by further expansion of public employment programmes, home community-based care and early childhood development initiatives and work harder to build a strong developmental state. We have heard the President's exhortation to contribute to a state that responds to the needs and aspirations of the people and a state that performs better, faster, harder and smarter.

Hon members, Social Development's expenditure grew from R67,1 billion in 2007 to R86,5 billion in 2009, an average annual rate of 11,9%. The allocation for this year, which we present to this august House, is more than R94 billion and increases to R114 billion by 2012-13. An amount of R95,4 billion, which is 99,4% of the budget allocation, is transfers. Provision of social grants makes up the largest portion of the budget, approximately 93%, which is 89,4% in the current financial year.

The other major transfers include R5,6 billion to the South African Social Security Agency, Sassa, to administer the grant system, and R87,2 million to the National Development Agency, NDA, to strengthen civil society organisations and support development initiatives in rural areas. A further R226 million goes towards social work scholarships and R43,4 million to LoveLife to implement HIV/Aids prevention programmes.

I will now detail some of the salient features of the expenditure programme. Comprehensive social security is our major programme. Our envisaged comprehensive social security system has three pillars: social assistance, social insurance, as well as voluntary savings. The first pillar, the social assistance programme, already covers just over 14 million South Africans. True to our manifesto promise, we have extended the child support grant to all children born after 31 December 1993 - all those born in the year of our democracy, I dare say. The extension of the child support grant will be phased in to cover over 2,1 million eligible children under the age of 18 by 2011-12.

As promised in our manifesto, we equalised the old-age pension on 1 April. Now men who are 60 years old, and who meet the means test criteria, became eligible for old-age pensions.

In a related development, and giving effect to our Polokwane resolution, this year we introduced in Parliament the Social Assistance Amendment Bill, which seeks to amend the definition of disability and provides for the introduction of a common, harmonised assessment tool to ensure a uniform and objective assessment of disability. The Bill will give effect to Parliament's original intention: those who are disabled, to the extent that they cannot be gainfully employed as a result of some or other impairment, should qualify for the disability grant. In excess of R140 million will be available for social relief of distress to provide income support for those who may be left vulnerable as a result of a sudden catastrophe. We will, in the course of the financial year, bring to Cabinet the social relief Bill, which will seek to shift the delivery responsibility of the programme, among other things, to provinces but to also ensure that we make our response to people's emergency needs faster and more efficiently than ever before.

We will respond to President Zuma's appeal to make government work faster, harder and smarter. Sassa will embark on a number of innovative service delivery improvements over the Medium Term Strategic Framework, MTSF, period. Central to these is the improved grant application process, known as IGAP, which seeks to resolve challenges relating to the grant application process. Our intention is that social grant applicants should be given the outcome of their applications on the same day. That is the ultimatum that we want.

Leakage in the social assistance programme is an affront. We will uproot fraud, eradicate corruption and spare no effort to bring to justice those who compromise the integrity of the grant system. We have scrutinised hundreds of thousands of dormant accounts of beneficiaries to assess their eligibility. We will make an announcement in due course, to indicate how we are going with this. Suffice it to say, we will save hundreds of millions of rand.

In response to the Minister of Finance's petition to do more with less, we have assessed the cost of paying social grants. There is a need to change the current model of paying from 70% of our social grant recipients through the cash payment contractors system. This method is inefficient, ineffective and not financially sustainable. Reviewing the payment system is not an easy task. The public demands a system that is transparent and one where the costs of providing such a key service are reduced. As government, we are obliged to source cost-effective and perhaps more developmental means of providing these services - developmental means in rural areas in particular.

While we are embarking on all these business process redesign initiatives, we have no intention of forcing social grant recipients to migrate to a permanent system and thereby adversely affect them. Based on our payment model, we will go out on tender soon. We regret that so many of our people have waited so long for their appeals to be dealt with, especially in the provinces of KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape. We will prioritise their plight. We say...

isiZulu:

Thokolathemba amathunzi ayewukela.

English:

We now have an independent appeals tribunal to deal with these matters, and we have allocated R171 million for it.

The second pillar of our social security system is social insurance.While social assistance aims to alleviate poverty, the goal of social insurance is to preventpoverty. Regrettably, too many previously employed people in South Africa fall into poverty because we do not have a mandatory retirement system, millions of workers do not insure against disability and millions more breadwinners do not save to ensure that their surviving dependants have income in the event of death. Many employed people are also not covered for unemployment insurance, and the system for compensation for work- related injuries is fragmented. Consequently, millions of former employees become dependent on the social assistance system, as it currently is.

In addition to the consolidated government document on social security reform, we have developed detailed reform policy proposals that will inform the implementation over this MTSF. The key social security reforms relate to setting up a mandatory system of social insurance, especially the retirement system, with disability provisions and benefits for surviving dependants in the event of the death of the breadwinner. The Minister of Finance will definitely provide detail on the reform of the private pensions, but I dare say we will take on the big insurance companies and the bureaucracies to bring down the costs of retirement and health-care savings, to remove the opacity of products, to improve governance of funds, and ensure trustees exercise their fiduciary duties as well.

A business case to reform the institutional arrangements for social security has been completed. The aim is to integrate social security policy development to ensure coherence and consolidate service delivery of the various social security benefits to achieve economies of scale. In view of our participation in the International Social Security Association, Issa, activities, which are important, particularly as we embark on the process of developing the comprehensive social security system, we will this year host the 30th Issa general assembly and the World Social Security Forum from 29 November to 4 December 2010. Among other matters, the conference will discuss issues pertinent to our own social security system and the coverage systems that go with that.

With regard to welfare services, we can and must bring hope in the midst of such despair. Our suite of welfare services intervention is vast.

Afrikaans:

Maatskaplike diens intervensies is wyd in omvang. Dit sluit onder andere in kwesbare kinders, die jeug, gestremde persone en die oues van dae. Een van die departement se eerste prioriteite is die implementering van die Kinderwet, Wet 38 van 2005, sowel as die Wet op Ouer Persone, Wet 13 van 2006, wat 'n aanvang geneem het op 1 April 2010. Die implementering van die twee wette sal die grontwetlike regte van kinders en ouer persone in die land bevorder en realiseer, sowel as ander beleidsdirektiewe en internasionale ooreenkomste. Daar is hoop en ons, die ANC, maak vooruitgang. [Applous.]

English:

Chairperson, just as these pieces of legislation are the product of a remarkable partnership between government and civil society, the effective implementation thereof will require a continuation of that partnership, at all levels and at all times. Noteworthy is that our reach of care and support services will be enhanced through a laudable partnership with the German Development Bank to address the plight of child-headed households.

The Child Justice Act also came into operation on 1 April this year. This landmark piece of legislation is designed to provide our country with a twin-track child welfare and justice approach, which focuses on prevention, early intervention, diversion from crime and rehabilitation of children who are in conflict with the law. The Deputy Minister will provide more specific details on this.

With regard to integrated development, we will develop, implement and evaluate a set of activation strategies for caregivers of children who access the child support grant. This will involve skills development initiatives for potential work opportunities. In this respect we are in concert with Jeffrey Sachs, who argues as follows in his book The End of Poverty: "The key to ending extreme poverty is to enable the poorest of the poor to get their foot on the ladder of development."Two flagship development projects have been implemented in this regard, in terms of poverty alleviation. They are the Hemp Project and the Vondeling upliftment craft project. Some of you may have seen the Vondeling project in the Sawubona magazine.

Nonprofit organisations, NPOs, have a major role to play in identifying, developing and implementing programmes and projects that promote genuine social development. In this respect, we have allocated an additional R17 million over the MTEF period for building capacity in NPO registration, including the recruitment of personnel.

We must channel the energy and enthusiasm of young people in a more constructive way, as the President has said when he articulated so well the status of the youth in this country. For this, government initiated a number of interventions. One worth mentioning is the Masupatsela Youth Pioneer Programme, in collaboration with our Cuban counterparts, which is contributing to and replicating the Cuban experience. We want to make the youth active agents of change in their communities. So far, we have recruited 2 099 young pioneers and 120 mentors, making significant progress in the youth interventions.

The HIV/Aids epidemic remains an immense challenge. We will, as we must, redouble our efforts in tackling this at greater speed. Guided by the programme of the national strategic plan, we would like to ensure that we work harder to contribute to the national goal of halving infections. In the 2009-10 financial year, the NDA funded 77 community projects, to the amount of R95 million. These benefited 7 185 direct beneficiaries, the majority of whom are women, youth and people with disabilities. This year the department will allocate R87,2 million, as I've already indicated, primarily to fund poverty alleviation initiatives of community-based organisations.

Over the MTEF period, we shall make conscious efforts to contribute to government's goal of creating decent work through the Expanded Public Works Programme, EPWP, particularly targeting people with disabilities, women and youth who are outside the labour market. To this end, we have accelerated our investments in home-based community care and early childhood development. We will also continue our partnership with United Nations Children's Fund, Unicef, and civil society organisations in the area of early childhood development. It is my belief, and that of government as a whole, that education is both a tool of social justice, and a fundamental driver of economic development.

A very concrete partnership with the private and nonprofit sectors centring on the community food bank initiative has come into effect. Social Development has supported the establishment of four food banks with an amount R3,3 million. These are in Cape Town, Johannesburg, Durban and Port Elizabeth. These food banks have provided close to 1,9 million meals on a monthly basis to poor households and have also created 91 full-time jobs. The department will also support the four remaining provinces during the implementation of rural food bank projects in the coming year. This programme is intended to cover the whole country.

Our poverty reduction strategy, co-ordinated by The Presidency, seeks to pool our resources. Similar to the National Business Initiative, we have commenced to mobilise the entire donor community to partner with government in this endeavour. We continue to engage the business sector with a view to harnessing the approximately R4 billion that is lying out there and could be spent on corporate social investment programmes. This will be done in order to "crowd in" this private sector investment in some of our country's most underserviced municipalities. Moves are afoot to set up the advisory board, which civil society has been waiting for, so that we can, on a more regular basis, harness the support of the business community and other stakeholders.

The policies, plans and programmes outlined in Budget Vote 18 demonstrate that this government is responsive to the struggles of our people. We have made progress and will continue to advance in this battle to bring hope to more people.

I would like to thank and acknowledge all the organisations and individuals that selflessly give of themselves to contribute to the upliftment and care of others. In particular, I want to thank organisations such as the Gift of the Givers, Tiger Brands, and the Soul City Institute that have in many ways contributed to either people who are in distress, like those in Haiti, but also in helping us with some of the programmes that we deal with. There are many other organisations like those that I have not named. Please bear with me; we are acknowledging you.

Before concluding, I need to inform this House about two important matters. The first is that of the chief executive officer of Sassa. The chief executive officer of Sassa was taken through the disciplinary process and accordingly dismissed. With regard to the NDA, the appointment of the chief executive officer of the NDA is now before Cabinet.

In conclusion, I want to express my heartfelt appreciation to my colleague and comrade, Ms Bathabile Dlamini, who has worked passionately and will continue to work relentlessly to make this country a better place; to the MECs for Social Development, members of my portfolio committee and the chairperson - thank you; the director-general; the acting chief executive officers of Sassa and the NDA respectively; the staff of the Department of Social Development and all the nongovernmental organisations, NGOs, and community-based organisations, CBOs, for the positive contribution that you have made to our work.

Allow me to close with the most famous of quotes on hope from our greatest icon: "It is an ideal which I hope to live for, and to see realised." You know who that icon is. Thank you very much. [Applause.]

The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M N Oliphant): I also want to congratulate you. You are the second Minister to finish her address within the allocated time. Thank you. [Applause.] I want to appeal to members, particularly those on my right, down there, to please lower your voices. It is unfortunate that the people who are involved are the Whippery.

Ms Y R BOTHA


THE MINISTER OF SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

Ms Y R BOTHA: Chairperson, the Minister of Social Development, the Deputy Minister, hon members of this House, members of the Provincial Executive Council who are here today, our stakeholders, ladies and gentlemen, today it is one year and one day ago that the fourth democratic election was held in our country. It was the fourth time that the African National Congress received an overwhelming mandate from the majority of voters to steer it on a path of social and economic transformation.

Since 1994, the Department of Social Development and its counterparts, as well as stakeholders, have transformed developmental social welfare within the social services sector. We have seen the sector develop and implement policies and legislation that have impacted on the lives of the poor and the vulnerable and steered it on a path of dignity and hope. The equalisation of services for all South Africans, and not just for the privileged few, remains, in my opinion, one of the biggest achievements of the sector.

Sixteen years later, the sector led by the Department of Social Development remains involved to develop policies and to access the changing needs of our dynamic South African society. Therefore the committee is in agreement with the key strategic objective of the department, and I quote:

To implement the appropriate policy interventions that respond to the immediate needs of individuals and communities, while at the same time engaging policy and research to explore long-term solutions that will address systematic poverty and inequality.

Like the Minister said, the strategic focus for the year under discussion is social security, welfare services and community development. Coming to the priorities of the department for the next five years, the Portfolio Committee on Social Development in the NA deliberated on each of them.

The Budget of the Vote 18 is not ideal for the needs of the poor and the vulnerable but it is adequate to enable them to achieve their strategic objectives. Thus, Parliament expects that Vote 18 will spend within the allocated amount. The total of R95,9 billion allocated to Vote 18 in this current financial year is an improvement on the voted amount of the previous financial year of R86,4 billion.

Social security gets the bulk of the allocation, that is, 93%, while programmes by such entities as the National Development Agency, NDA, has to make do with as little as 6,2% of the allocated amount. This scenario reaffirms – much to the chagrin of some, I might add – government's commitment to the poor and the vulnerable. Social assistance grants remain the biggest poverty alleviation tool of government today, with over 13 million South Africans on the social pension system, Socpen, with growth of more than 3 million over the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework, MTEF, period.

We all know that the extension of the child support grant up to the age of 18 is the main reason that there is an increase in social security. This is a welcomed policy implementation because we believe that this will have a positive impact on the lives of vulnerable school-going children. Our children will now be motivated to attend school and parents will be enabled to keep their children in school, clothed and fed. I am sure that this will give rise to increased school attendance and, in the long run, to better outcomes for our children at risk.

The rise in the state old-age pension and the disability grant, as well as the marginal increase in the child support grant, is welcomed.

Afrikaans:

Programme 3 en 4 suig, soos gewoonlik, aan die agterspeen van die begroting. Daar sal daadwerklik aandag gegee moet word aan die onderbevondsing van die programme. Families en ander weerbare groepe is in die moeilikheid en sukkel om behoue te bly. Daar moet indringend gekyk word na programme wat dinamies na gedisintegreerde families en gemeenskappe kyk, om sodoende maatskaplike vooruitgang te bewerkstellig.

As ons kyk na program 5, is dit van kardinale belang dat die program genoegsaam bevonds word. Met 'n begroting van R71,3 miljoen is dit die kleinste toekenning aan 'n program. Tog moet die programleierskap 'n toesighoudingsrol so wel as 'n gekoördineerende rol speel in die arena van maatskaplike ontwikkelingsdienste.

English:

The department has committed itself to efficiency savings of R80 million over the MTEF period. This department started to implement cost-saving measures last year already and they have informed me that no one is flying business class and that all officials are travelling with us, the Members of Parliament, in economy class. The reduction in the baseline allocation is noted and I hope that this will not have a detrimental effect on the work of the programme.

Afrikaans:

Minister Pravin Gordhan het in sy begrotingsrede op 17 Februarie 2010 gesê Suid-Afrika slaan 'n nuwe rigting in, om groei te verseker. Dit is as gevolg van die afgelope jaar se globale resessie wat ook ons ekonomie geknou het, maar tog nie op die skaal waarop sekere lande in Europa geknou is nie. 'n Goeie dosis introspeksie het, volgens hom, die volgende vyf begrotingsprioriteite tot gevolg gehad:

Eerstens, die verbetering van die gehalte van basiese onderwys - waarin Maatskaplike Dienste ook 'n belang het - as gevolg van sy mandaat vir die bevordering van pre-primêre onderrig.

Tweedens, die verbetering van die gesondheid van die nasie, soos byvoorbeeld gemeenskapgebaseerde versorgingsdienste.

English:

Third, making our communities safer - we refer to victim empowerment programmes,services and other social crime prevention programmes and initiatives.

Fourth, the fostering of rural development - we refer to the development of our social welfare infrastructure.

Furthermore, creating new jobs - we refer to the expanded public works programme, the social-work scholarship programme and learnerships.

Lastly, investing in local government and human settlements - we refer to the development and registering of early childhood development centres and other welfare infrastructure that form part of a cohesive community life.

All these budget priorities will put our country on a development trajectory that will benefit the poor and the vulnerable. Parliament will keep a hawk's eye on departmental expenditure to ensure that these priorities are implemented.

The portfolio committee has been hard at work during the 2009 financial year. We have engaged civil society and corporates to assess their involvement in the social development sector. These engagements have been quite fruitful and insightful, and we want to thank them for the good work they are doing in our communities.

We are looking forward to further engagement with other NGOs, the private sector, as well as the parastatals to assess the impact and the nature of their services in our communities.

Now, 2010 is upon us - with 48 days to go, government, citizens and, of course, FIFA is preparing for the event. The excitement is in the air. I am sure people are doing the diski dance everywhere. Unfortunately, I am not that agile but I wish those brave older souls well who risked a visit to the physiotherapist in order to do the diski dance. Like all South Africans, I wish Bafana Bafana well in their match against Mexico and the rest of the World Cup. We will welcome the visitors to our country with typical South African warmth.

However, we must also be vigilant of the dangers that criminals pose to our society when plying their trade of providing illicit services to equally socially deviant visitors who may visit our shores. The raid by the Minister and the MEC of social development on a brothel in the Free State is but one sign of the dark operations endangering the lives of our youth and women.

Minors are easily misled by those pimps who keep them hostage after luring them away from their homes with the promise of money and jobs. Young boys, girls and children are at risk and parents must be aware of the dangers that lurk out there. Child neglect and leaving your child unsupervised to play outside in the dark streets is looking for trouble.

We have seen in recent years the violent murder and rape of our babies and young children. Our young girl and boy children are especially at risk. The Northern Cape, Western Cape and Gauteng have been particularly prominent in the occurrence of these hideous crimes. Children are usually killed by someone they know, as is demonstrated in most cases. Parents also murder their children, especially men when confronted with domestic problems. Our courts have dealt swiftly with these crimes but we, as a society and government, have to do something to prevent this from happening. I strongly believe that the social development department, SAPS and the justice department need to come together to discuss this, but obviously not without the other nongovernmental stakeholders, like elder members of our society.

Violence against women, perpetuated by groups of young men and their partners, needs to be discussed urgently. I want to put this question to the department. Are there enough victim empowerment centres in our country? Especially in our rural areas, where the police station can be far away, where do you and your children run to when attacked by your husband or partner?

The Million Men March or Mighty Men seminars won't change society overnight. We need a stronger intervention to change and influence the mind and psyche of young and old male South Africans who subscribe to the sexist notions of patriarchy and male domination over women. Men should be oriented to accept the fact that we are now living in a society that is equal, nonsexist and democratic.

In conclusion, I would like to say that the National Development Agency can play a more strategic role in terms of development. But before that, they need to do an audit of their projects, because we found that some of the projects that they said are active are not at all active. Some of them cannot be found, as far as the oversight of members of the portfolio committee is concerned. However, there will be further engagement with the committee on this matter. And I am glad about the announcement that the hon Minister has made around the appointment of the CEO because that was a long outstanding matter.

Substance abuse in our country, especially hard drugs like heroin and cocaine, are claiming the lives of our children. We do not have enough in-patient facilities to provide adequate treatment in our provinces. We need more of these facilities in Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Northern Cape and North West. This is a grave situation.

The Ke Moja campaign should be in every school in our country – I mean every school, not just in certain schools. The absence of community-based and aftercare services should be addressed as a matter of urgency.

Our drug rehabilitation centres should have longer terms for rehabilitation so that your adolescent patients can be equipped with skills to empower them to finish their schooling. This will ensure that patients are less vulnerable when they go back into society and better equipped to deal with life after rehabilitation. I hope the matters raised here will be addressed by the Ministers, the Deputy Ministers, the clusters in governments and the MECs in the provinces.

The ANC supports Budget Vote No. 18. Thank you. [Applause.]

Ms S P KOPANE


Mrs Y R BOTHA

Ms S P KOPANE: Chairperson, the parliamentary question by the DA to the Minister has revealed a severe backlog in the approval of applications for social grants by the SA Social Security Agency, Sassa. This leaves the poorest and most vulnerable South Africans desperate for help but unable to get the assistance they qualify for. To date, 27 633 applications have not yet been approved by Sassa.

Sesotho:

Ho na le tshallomorao e kgolo haholo ya dinyewe tsa molao tse tobaneng le SASSA haesale e thehwa mme sena se supa hantle hore e hloleha ho phethisa thomo ya yona.

Mmuso etelletsweng pele ke ANC o na le nalane e tsebahalang ya ho phoqa mafutsana a naha ena ya rona. Ebile ha o natse le seriti sa baahi ba rona ba kotsing ya ho utlwiswa bohloko ka lebaka la bofuma! Maqheku le maqhekwana, diqhwala le ba tshepetseng ho bona ha ba tshwanela ho mamella mathata ana a ka boomo ka lebaka la ditjhelete tsa bona tseo ba lokelang ho di fumana hore ba phele.

Bohlaswa bona bo bakwa ke dikgaello tse teng ka hara mokgwa wa tshebetso wa SASSA. Bongata ba batho bana bo se bo bile bo batlile dithuso tsa molao ka mora ho tshwariswa lefika le sa weng ke setheo sena sa mmuso wa ANC. Ruri ke mahlabisa-dihlong hore mafutsana a qetelle a mathaka makgotleng a molao ka lebaka la ho tsekella ditjhelete tsa ona ha baeka bona ba hlabile kgobe ka lemao!

English:

Hon Minister, the DA parliamentary question also revealed that to date 4 634 legal procedures have been brought against Sassa. A number of cases have reached the Supreme Court of Appeal and the Constitutional Court. One Supreme Court judge has described the inefficiency of the state in the processing of social grant applications as a "war of attrition against the poor".

The protest we saw on Wednesday, 21 April 2010 in the North West province is clear evidence of problems that are experienced by a community due to Sassa's incompetence.

Sesotho:

Re le DA le ho fihla jwale re lemoha hore batho ba rona ba ntse ba ema mela e melelele ka tlasa maemo a hlobaetsang. Motho o ne o ka nahana hore taba ena e ne e fele mohla ho fela kgethollo empa ke ena e bonahala e ja setsi.

Sassa e feela e sa kgathalle maemo ana a ditaba, a hlobaetsang. Mohlomong bongata ba mokga o busang bo lebetse hore batho bana ke bana beso, batswadi ba rona, jwalojwalo, mme ha ke kgolwe hore ka hara ntlo ena ho ka ba le batho ba ka ratang ha ba habo ba thusetswa tlasa maemo ana.

Re a tseba hore ka dinako tse ding ho na dipula nakong eo batho ba ilo fumana dithuso tsa bona mme ha ho moo ba ka ipatang teng. Ho bile ho na le dibaka moo ho se nang ditulo le disebediswa tse ding tsa motheo.

Re le DA haesale re eletsa mmuso hore o ke o fumane ditsela tse ding tse nang le botho tsa ho sebeletsa batho ba rona.

English:

At present, the bulk of Sassa's expenditure goes to cash payment contractors. On average, this accounts for approximately 53% of the entire budget, leaving only 27% to cover compensation of employees, while the remaining 20% caters for essential operational expenses.

The DA urges the Minister to facilitate and introduce cost-containment measures that will contribute towards avoiding inefficient spending and make sure that only eligible beneficiaries are paid. It would also contribute towards improving the integrity of data and that of the department.

Owing to the moratorium on the filling of vacant critical posts, especially posts in the Risk Management and Compliance Unit, service delivery was negatively impacted.

Sesotho:

Ka lebaka la tseo ke di buileng, Sassa ha ya kgona ho etsa dipatlisiso tsa boitshwaro mme potso e lebang ho Letona le hlomphehang ke hore na ekaba seriti se setle, tshebetso e ntle, boitshwaro ka hara Sassa, jwalojwalo, di tla behwa leihlo jwang empa ho na le dikgaello tse tjena?

Tlhokeho e matla ya basebetsi ka hara SASSA e entse hore setheo sena se hlolehe ho fihlella maikemisetso le thomo ya ona ya ho fana ka ditshebeletso tse tswileng matsoho bathong ba rona.

English:

Children are at risk because the Act, which was initiated to create a register of persons who should not be allowed to work with children, is not fully operational yet. In a reply to the DA's question on whether the child protection register is fully operational, the Department of Social Development responded that it could not obtain information on people unsuitable to work with children from the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development.

The response further stated that the electronic integration system for sharing conviction information obtained from the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development and the police will only be phased in over a period of five years, making this child protection register operational from 2014 only.

Hon Minister, the DA finds it unacceptable that, given the shocking record of child abuse in South Africa and the fact that a budget of R2,9 million has been allocated for the financial year 2009-10, it will take nearly 10 years for this Act to be created. Funding is not the issue; the problem appears to stem from a lack of political will to get the job done. Children should be given priority over the integration of a cumbersome system.

While 13 million people have now been included in the safety net of social grants, poverty remains a deep and daunting challenge. Poverty is closely linked to the structural problems of unemployment and the lack of skills. Unemployment affects poor people severely. Hon Minister, if we fail to address poverty, we will fail to build and defend democracy in South Africa. The primary mandate of the National Development Agency, NDA, is to contribute towards the eradication of poverty and its causes by granting funds to civil society for the purpose of implementing development projects for the poor communities and strengthening their capacity. But it is failing to uphold this mandate as it has poor monitoring systems in place.

The institution is also suffering from a lack of consistent strategic leadership, as already alluded to by my colleague. From 2005 to date, the NDA has had two CEOs and at present the post is filled by an acting CEO. This leads to the instability of the institution.

We cannot talk about development if people are struggling to get quality education and are unskilled. We cannot talk about development if people are unemployed. We cannot talk about development if people go to bed with empty stomachs, malnourished and unhealthy. Finally, we cannot talk about development and freedom if our people are still staying in shacks without basic services. We need to build South Africa so that we can create a good future of our children: one with self-respect and respect for others.

Hon Minister, the DA acknowledges the progress made in the fight against fraud and corruption with regards to social grants, but it is not enough to just sign the acknowledgement of debt for repayment. South Africans want to see that justice is done. These criminals must be sentenced and locked in jail. They must be named and shamed.

The intentions on paper by the department and its entities are more desirable, but implementation and monitoring remain challenging issues. The DA urges speedy implementation to change the situation.

In conclusion, hon Minister, let me reassure you that the DA will rally behind you to see to it that you succeed in taking this department in the right direction, for the sake of all South Africans. It is within this context that the DA will always express its concern. Thank you. [Applause.]

Ms S P KOPANE

Ms N P GCUME: Chairperson, members of the portfolio committee and distinguished guests, last year Cope wished you well as you were about to steer the Department of Social Development, and we wished you success in the areas of the department's work that seek to care for the poor and vulnerable. Again this year, on the occasion of the Budget Vote, we in Cope reiterate our desire to see you succeed in delivering services to the masses of our people.

The President of the Republic promised in his state of the nation address to make sure that none of our people go to bed on an empty stomach, or die of hunger. Cope urges the department, under your leadership, Minister, to keep in line with this promise and make it a reality. This must be taken cognisance of, because most of our people and children live in the conditions alluded to by the President.

Cope takes note of the fact that one of the biggest burdens that apartheid left us is the syndrome of dependency. This has disabled our people from being independent, even though their government must meet their needs and provide for them. Unfortunately, this virus must be dealt with systematically, in order to provide these services to people who are in need, rather than providing them as rewards based on the consequences of apartheid.

The Department of Social Development has, among other things, identified a shortage of qualified, competent and dedicated professionals. This has largely contributed to the lack of quality services that the department should deliver to the people. It can no longer be that our regional and district offices continue to allude to the lack of equipment in their offices as a reasonable excuse for the department's inability to render services to the people. Cope calls for the immediate evaluation of whether this has anything to do with capacity and/or the lack thereof.

We must also mention that in some offices, in areas like Flagstaff, Tabankulu and Bizana, one finds application forms that have not been captured and are lying around. This is something that may be described as negligence and carelessness on the part of the department. This is worrying, as one is made to wait for a long time for the processing of application forms, while the lives of the people who are patiently waiting for these services remain unchanged.

Interdepartmental collaboration remains a problem. This relationship has to be strengthened, especially with the Departments of Home Affairs, Health, Justice and Constitutional Development, and the police. The issue of border crossing is a problem, where people who are not South African citizens come into our country and access and benefit from the grants in this country. [Interjections.]

Cope appreciates the programmes and the monitoring of their progress done by the department. However, this monitoring, Minister, must improve the quality of social welfare services rendered to older persons in need of care and protection, particularly the vulnerable, as they continue to be victims of the lack of spending and attention to matters that affect them. Through their vulnerability, they remain victims of rape, murder and abuse. We urge the department to consider the establishment of more old-age homes to cater for and accommodate these elders.

Cope takes note of the strides that the department has made in dealing with acts of corruption and fraud, which engulfed the department for a long time. We appreciate most the R180 million that has been saved by the department as part of its strategy to combat corruption. We are pleased that the department has adopted an attitude of no tolerance towards corruption, because we remember that this department has been popularly known as a vulnerable system that was easy to corrupt. Cope believes the new strategy will go a long way in changing the attitude of the general public towards the department, because it is in the interest of all of us, beyond party lines, to see the services of this department being rendered and all the people of this country being the deserving recipients of these services.

Cope counts on this budget to deal with the current bureaucracy that continues to marginalise needy people. Destitute children of single parents, who are looked after by grandmothers and/or guardians, are a case in point. We wish to call for your intervention to address the issue of how this department should deal with this, because currently people who look after destitute children are sent from pillar to post and, ultimately, they get no assistance. What this means, hon Minister, is that if a grandmother who stays with a child applies for a grant, she will be told to come with the father of that particular child. This is in spite of the fact that the child's mother is late. There must be something that can be done to assist these grandmothers, as you have seen in Cutting Edge. [Interjections.] Surely, Minister, this calls for an urgent change of paradigm.

The department has managed to catch people who have been defrauding it in many ways, but it is not clear whether these people will be bringing back the money that they owe the department; that they have been defrauding. We want a lesson that will be learnt by everybody.

IsiXhosa:

Bafunde isifundo esithi: Ndiyibambile inkunzi, mandiyibuyise imali. [Kwaqhwatywa.]

English:

... especially those who came to the department and said they unintentionally defrauded the department.

IsiZulu:

Besingazi thina ukuthi asifanelanga thina ukuhhola izibonelelo zikahulumeni (grants).

English:

They have to pay back the money - that must be clear too. There is a high rate of crime in our country, and the prisons are overflowing with young offenders. We appeal to the hon Minister and the department to review the policy of reformatory schools; schools that our children will be taken to instead of them becoming street kids. Those reformatory schools will also assist the street kids. [Time expired.] Thank you very much. [Applause.]

Mr M G ORIANI-AMBROSINI


Ms N P GCUME

Mr M G ORIANI-AMBROSINI: Mr Chairman, I stand on behalf of my colleague, the hon Makhuba, to deliver the IFP viewpoint in this debate and tender the apology of the hon Makhuba to you and the Minister for being unable to attend this debate.

We, as the IFP, praise the efforts of the department to give substance to the commitment made to transform itself from a paradigm of assistance to one of development. However, we are operating in an environment of increasing financial pressure on the department.

The TEMPORARY CHAIRPERSON (Mr M R Mdakane): Hon Oriani-Ambrosini, please take your seat. Hon members, let us allow the member to be heard. There is a lot of noise and it is inappropriate. Let us give him the opportunity to be heard. It is very important for all of us to do that. Hon Oriani-Ambrosini, you can take the floor.

Mr M G ORIANI-AMBROSINI: Thank you, Mr Chairman. The department is operating in an environment in which there is increasing financial pressure on it at a time of budgetary constraints. We may be out of the economic crisis in that we are beginning to see signs of growth, but shrinkage has taken place both in the economy and in the availability of budgetary finance, with an increasing number of people needing to become recipients of benefits.

Proportionally speaking, we are, in a certain sense, becoming one of the largest welfare states in the world, with about five million taxpayers providing benefits for the rest of the population. This places before us enormous challenges in which a shift from the paradigm of assistance to the paradigm of development is very important.

I stand with the hon Botha when she stresses the need to empower families to become the first centre of assistance. In this way, the primary source of development can take place through educating parents to assume the responsibility of developing their children and, through the larger family, providing the social assistance that is necessary. This would not be done within the paradigm and straitjacket of morality, but in the paradigm of social responsibility, freedom and cultural growth.

So, in that sense, the Department of Social Development is also the bearer of a broader responsibility of bringing about a sort of mini cultural revolution in changing attitudes and perceptions, and in questioning traditional roles, to enhance the level of freedom, responsibility and human growth where it is needed most. In all of this, the great challenge is to be realistic – as in the old proverb of not giving fish to those who need it, but rather teaching them to fish.

We, as the IFP, are aware of the challenges facing the department, especially in terms of staffing. The department is really a department without walls but with many, many doors opening into all fields – into the justice and education fields, into the family field and into communities. Some of the many positive, benign things that fall under the department are done by functionaries. Some are done by a much broader infrastructure of people, who need to be brought into the fold. How do we choose them? How do we motivate them? How do we pay them? We suggest that attention be given to the creation of programmes that will bring in people not only from the field of those who study the social sciences at university but also from the much broader fold of people of goodwill.

Ms D G NHLENGETHWA: Mr Chairperson, on a point of order: Could you please order Anele to go back to her seat?

The TEMPORARY CHAIRPERSON (Mr M R Mdakane): Hon member, let us not disturb the member. Proceed.

Ms M A MOLEBATSI: Mr Chairperson, on a point of order: Is it parliamentary for the hon Mda to walk through to the other side of the House and between the Chair and the speaker?

Ms J D KILIAN: Mr Chairperson, on a point of order: Is it parliamentary for the hon member to refer to one of Cope's members as "Anele" when she is the hon Mda?

The TEMPORARY CHAIRPERSON (Mr M R MDAKANE): Hon members, I think the member has learnt now. She will not do it again. Hon Mda, I know you are a new Member of Parliament, so I was taking a kinder view. I think we should not waste time on this matter. Hon Oriani-Ambrosini, sorry to disturb you. Take the floor.

Mr M G ORIANI-AMBROSINI: Thank you, Mr Chairman. I seem unable to deliver a speech in this House without a barrage of points of order, even when I do so on behalf of somebody else.

The point I was trying to make is that the greatest attention should be given to bringing into the fold a broader range of people who can help – people of goodwill, from retired people to young people who are not necessarily specialised, through their studies, in the field of social services. This experience would give them something valuable to put on their résumés, something that will enable them to get a job more easily later on in life. It is this notion of counting on volunteerism that will re-ignite in the hearts and minds of the people of South Africa the fundamental will to help those who help themselves.

We support the child support grant contribution specifically to reach child poverty because it is linked to a decrease in child poverty and child labour and to an increase in school attendance. We support the child grant amendment, which will now include those beneficiaries born after January 1994, and we urge the department to make sure that the SA Social Services Agency, Sassa, office will be informed about the amendment and given the correct information to beneficiaries about these changes.

The entire function of the Department of Communication, I think, is one that is most important. We feel there is a need, perhaps, to look into specialised radio channels. They are quite cheap. One could then at any given time tune into a social welfare channel providing basic, recurring information which may be more accessible than hot-lines and telephone lines.

We encourage Social Development to continue working in conjunction with Home Affairs, Health, Education and Correctional Services, because the functions of social assistance and social development do not really have boundaries. Thank you very much. [Time expired.]

Ms M V MAFOLO


Mr M G ORIANI-AMBROSINI

Ms M V MAFOLO: Chairperson, hon Minister Edna Molewa, hon Deputy Minister Bathabile Dlamini, hon MECs present here, the MEC from my province, Mrs Kasienyane, the director-general and officials present here and distinguished guests,...

Setswana:

Ke motlotlo thata go tsaya karolo mo puisanong ya gompieno, e e tla dirwang thata ke bomme gonne rona re le mokgatlho wa ANC re dumela gore mmangwana o e tshwara ka fa bogaleng. Re dumela gape gore kgomo mogala tshwara ka thata e seng go utlwa sebodu wa kgaoga.

English:

We believe that people are the fundamental resources of the country, since they have the capacity to develop personally and are central to the development of the economy and the nation as a whole. The ANC's social transformation agenda will accordingly pursue both the development and social services aspects in the context of social reconstruction and development.

The ANC's policy is based on a belief in the human dignity of all South Africans. We acknowledge that the state has a major role in meeting the legitimate and realistic expectations of all, especially the poor, disadvantaged and other vulnerable persons. We do not encourage a hand-out approach to social welfare provision because it does not address the root causes of social problems.

This debate is about the needs of the people. The overall budget of the department has shown an increase. The reason for this increase is due mostly to the department's priority to enhance social assistance through provisions to vulnerable groups and the poor. This is also a priority of the ANC.

In accordance with the above commitment, the Department of Social Development obtained the largest budget allocation in the social transformation cluster. It has received R94 billion to implement social assistance and welfare services. The budget allocation reflects the ANC's position of establishing social protection initiatives to build the capacity of vulnerable groups and the poor.

This budget must be utilised for its purpose. In the light of many people facing the challenge of HIV and Aids, the Department of Social Development has played an important role to ensure that people living with HIV and Aids are assisted as part of the government comprehensive strategy to deal with this pandemic. It contributes to reducing the incidence and minimising the psycho-social impact of HIV and Aids as well as the burden of diseases by monitoring the implementation of the LoveLife prevention programmes for the youth on a quarterly basis to confirm that more youth are reached by the end of the year.

The department aims to improve efficiency in registering nonprofit organisations by registering all application forms for new organisations within two months. In addition, we will be developing initiatives that reduce the stigma of HIV and Aids and the discrimination experienced by people living with HIV and Aids.

The global economic crisis has hit the poor, the youth, women and rural masses hard. The Department of Social Development has provided a safety net, which has supported millions of our people to survive while looking for work opportunities. This action and social grants contribute billions of rands to the economy and has been one of the most important factors in the fight against poverty and hunger. It is in this regard that a significant number of young people benefited from the opportunities generated through various of the department's developmental programmes.

The department developed and distributed a youth service programme toolkit that covers the youth development strategy and national youth services to all provinces. In 2009-10 a framework for the Masupatsela curriculum, a youth pioneer programme based on the Cuban social work programme, was developed. Ten Cuban experts were interviewed and contracted to implement the programme.

Developing the national consciousness of the youth is a critical priority and the celebration of these events as part of the Social Development Strategic Plan is to be strongly supported. National volunteerism, youth month commemoration and international youth days are all critical functions in the development of the national consciousness of the youth. It is pleasing to see that this forms part of the support from social development.

The Freedom Charter says, "Rent and prices shall be lowered; food plentiful and no one shall go hungry.: In relation to the Freedom Charter's clarion call, the ANC government has already put in place an emergency food relief programme on a massive scale in the form of food assistance projects to the poorest households and communities. It is hoped that in the next five years government will introduce a "food for all" programme to procure and distribute basic foods at reasonable prices to poor communities and households.

The election manifesto says that the government will expand access to food production schemes in rural and peri-urban areas to grow their own food with implements, tractors and fertilisers. This includes strengthening co-operatives, particularly for the poor youth, both male and female. Other measures will support existing community schemes which utilise land for food production in schools, health facilities, churches, urban and tradition authority areas.

However, it is not government alone that has the responsibility to improve the livelihoods of poor households. Community-based organisations provide resources and other capacities to alleviate poverty. The ANC's view has long been expressed that support for government programmes and policies to improve service delivery must be rooted in communities that are strengthened and capacitated to work with government and ensure the sustainability of such programmes.

This budget is compatible with the policy priorities of the ANC. Patterns of budget allocations place the needs of poor people and vulnerable groups, such as youth and women, the aged, children and people with disability and those living with HIV and Aids, at the strategic centre of the department's plan.

In 2009-10 a memorandum of understanding between the South African government, the Community Food Banking Network of South Africa and the Global Food Banking Network was facilitated and resulted in the establishment of four community food banks in Durban, Port Elizabeth, Johannesburg and Cape Town. For food security to be attained in the fight against hunger and poverty, sustainable livelihoods must be realised. It is this that will contribute most towards the alleviation of poverty and hunger at community and household level, therefore the empowerment of individuals, families and communities to participate in this process of establishing critical services like the community food banks is crucial. The food banks are the most direct and effective way in which hunger in our communities and rural areas can be attacked.

In 2008-09 the department developed a toolkit on sustainable livelihood for community development practitioners in South Africa, which was field tested in 2009-10. The department also commissioned a skills audit for community development practitioners, which will ensure the development of responsive skills development programmes with key stakeholders.

In conclusion, social development is based on an integrated understanding of the challenges facing South Africa. Although there are no simple or isolated solutions to the challenges we face, the Department of Social Development proposes a set of priority actions to help accelerate social progress in fighting poverty, hunger and unemployment.

Setswana:

Tekanyetsokabo e ya rona e phepa, e tlhamaletse, e a tlhaloganyesega. Mašwi ke phepa ke le nosi, selabe se tla le motsaya kgamelo.

English:

The ANC supports Budget Vote 18, Social Development. Thank you.

The DEPUTY MINISTER OF SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT


Mrs M V MAFOLO

The DEPUTY MINISTER OF SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT: Chairperson, hon Minister of Social Development, hon Ministers and Deputy Ministers, Members of Parliament, especially the chairperson and members of the committee, MECs for Social Development, distinguished guests, friends, ladies and gentlemen, this is one of those occasions where most of us feel that much has been said about the kind of a society we would like South Africa to become. Yet, as each day unfolds, we are reminded that ours is still a work in progress. Ours is a story line whose beginning we have witnessed, but one whose conclusion we will not see, because each generation will alter the script to meet its own needs.

Vibrant communities are integral to our goal of building a caring society. Central to this goal is to ensure that our policies and programmes respond effectively to the material and social needs of communities, families and individuals. Hon members, many of you know, just as I do, that the institution of the family, which is a building block of communities, is under severe strain as a consequence of social ills such as HIV/Aids, poverty, child and elder abuse, as well as gender-based violence, among others. The persistence of these social ills is inimical to the caring and inclusive society we seek to create. Accordingly, the family needs to take its central place as the subject of our policy interventions. As part of those interventions, we must cultivate a culture of positive values as an integral part of our efforts to build a caring society.

According to the Children's Act, Act 38 of 2005, as amended, which is being fully implemented from 1 April 2010, our children need to grow up in a nurturing, secure and stable family environment which ensures their optimal development in order to prepare them for participation in society. Many of our children continue to be vulnerable to poverty, child abuse and neglect, resulting in others continuing to live and work on the streets. The scourge of HIV/Aids has turned some children into heads of households long before they are old enough to assume these responsibilities. This is at variance with what is contemplated in the Constitution. The Polokwane resolution has declared that the best interest of the child must be paramount, with child-headed households taking priority in our protection and care interventions.

The Children's Act provides for alternative care, as a policy response to dealing with such vulnerable children. According to our surveillance system on orphans, we have just under 1 million orphans in the country. A number of these orphans are recipients of the foster-care grant. The adoption rate in the country is at an average of 2 000 adoptions per annum. We are appealing to all South Africans who have the passion and love for children, to adopt and support our orphans in order to provide them with a stable family environment. [Applause.]

We must all draw inspiration from the courageous act of Mrs Sarah Holland, of KwaZulu-Natal, who lost her live while evacuating children to safety from a burning place of safety, in eNgogo.

Many children who are not living in a stable family environment continue to live and work in the streets and are predisposed to being involved in criminal activities. In this regard, government has commenced with the implementation of the Child Justice Act, Act 75 of 2008, which will result in better management and protection of children in conflict with the law. Among other things, we have dedicated full-time officials to provide services to children in conflict with the law. We are confident that the effective implementation of this Act will put us in a better position to contribute effectively to social crime prevention and respond to the issues that were raised by hon Gcume.

Despite the extension of early childhood development, ECD, services to over 700 000 children over the past five years, access to ECD remains a daunting challenge for many poor children. I add my voice to that of many concerned South Africans who say that early childhood development is a central pillar of the fight against intergenerational transmission of poverty. In line with the Polokwane resolution of the 2007 conference of the ANC, we intend to accelerate the registration of ECD sites throughout the country, especially in rural areas, to ensure that as many children as possible have access to early childhood development.

IsiZulu:

Njengoba sazi sonke ngesiZulu bathi umthente ugotshwa usamila.

English:

During the past financial year, my department registered 2 515 ECD centres, and 1 385 of these are in rural areas and nodal points, bringing the total number of registered ECD sites to approximately 15 000. The provision of ECD services enhances the empowerment of women; it contributes towards their freedom, towards their empowerment. It helps them to look for jobs and to develop businesses. It also has the spin-off of creating opportunities for carers and ECD practitioners. [Applause.]

Substance abuse poses a serious threat to the wellbeing of our society. According to research, the age group experimenting with drugs is steadily dropping to children in primary schools. This has a negative impact on the wellbeing and development of our children. Research also indicates that the scourge is spreading to rural areas. We cannot allow the scourge to destroy our society. We will step up our drug awareness campaign by working closely with our social partners to educate people about the harmful effects of substance abuse. This year, we will be working to reposition the Central Drug Authority as an organisation that will exercise authority on the development and implementation of the National Drug Master Plan.

We believe that the real acid test of our fledging democracy is the extent to which we provide for the respect and human dignity of older persons and people with disabilities. People with disabilities are not necessarily destined to only be recipients of the disability grant. This year, the department will prioritise the consolidation of all policies relating to services to people with disabilities into a single policy that is aligned to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. That policy will provide a basis for the development of legislation to regulate services to the people with disabilities. In this regard, we will collaborate with the Ministry for Women, Children and People with Disabilities.

The Older Persons Act, Act 13 of 2006, inspired by the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing, is the embodiment of our government's commitment to the respect and protection of the rights of older persons against abuse, neglect and all forms of maltreatment and discrimination. Effective 1 April 2010, we have commenced with the full implementation of the Act. Key to the implementation of the legislation is the promotion of active ageing, which allows older persons to participate in community activities.

IsiZulu:

Badlale ibhola, bavuke ekuseni bahambe, babenemincintiswano yemidlalo, kube mnandi bahlangane nabanye abantu abadala.

English:

Ms Mary Turok, Mr Manthata, Mr Tom Boya and their colleagues stand out as exemplary figures who continue to share their knowledge and wisdom with us in the department. [Applause.]

Chairperson, in six weeks time South Africa will be welcoming millions of people from around the world to the world's biggest sporting festival, the 2010 Fifa World Cup. The magnitude of this event does present the risk of an increase in incidents of human trafficking and other social ills, as was raised by the chairperson of the committee. In order to deal with this effectively, we, together with social partners, have developed an integrated action plan for child protection, social crime prevention and victim empowerment services which will be provided by qualified social service professionals. They will be based at all the Fifa World Cup venues to respond to urgent needs.

Experience has taught us that creating a caring and inclusive society is a collective effort which cannot be the responsibility of the government alone, as Mr Oriani-Ambrosini has said. I see that he's gone. Our country is blessed with strong social partners in civil society organisations, faith-based organisations - some of which are here today, represented by Aunty Bibi Khan - and the business community, whose acts of courage are witnessed daily by the people they serve. To all our social partners, know that we value your contribution, we value your counsel and we rely on your services to realise our goals. To the civil society organisations, some of whom are sitting in the gallery, like the president of the South African NGO Coalition, Sangoco, Jimmy Gotyana, I wish to say to you that I will be visiting you to find ways of strengthening our partnership for better service delivery. We are grateful for your heroic work, often undertaken against serious adversities such as the recent economic recession. As government, we have learnt that a single-year funding model is not sustainable. From this year, we will be promoting a multiyear funding model across the sector. Through our concerted effort, working together with our people, we can do more.

We are indebted to the United Nations Children's Fund, Unicef; the United States Agency for International Development, USAID; the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, UNODC; the Canadian International Development Agency; the D G Murray Trust; and the European Commission, for their support in the development of programmes for the implementation of our key social services. But we are also prepared to work with people who are prepared to support us.

We want members to be very realistic. Apartheid's legacy won't be removed overnight. We should not try to tell ourselves that its going to happen today, because we all know that those things were done to us for over a period of 365 years. Ours is to fight colonialism of a special type, as Inhlangano yabantu isho [the organisation of the people says]. So, we are going to embrace your support but, at the same time, we are pleading with you not to have short memories. Remember the past and where we come from.

As I conclude, I want to thank my colleague and my comrade, Minister Molewa, the director-general of the department, his management team and the entire staff of the Department of Social Development. Importantly, I want to acknowledge my parents up there, who are here in there gallery, for their sustained support and advice. I thank you. [Applause.]

Ms C DUDLEY


The DEPUTY MINISTER OF SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

Ms C DUDLEY: Chairperson, hon Minister, from studies conducted in many parts of the world, stable and emotionally supportive family life has been found to be associated with such positive outcomes as higher rates of school attendance; better school performance; higher levels of self-esteem; self-confidence and future orientation among children and youth; a reduction in behavioural problems among youth, including aggression, substance use and crime; higher levels of work productivity; lower levels of stress and stress-related illnesses, resulting in lower levels of work absenteeism, substance use and health-care costs and a greater capacity to deal with hardships and crises, which has particular relevance for coping capacity in resource-poor environments; greater longevity and better quality of life among older persons; and increased responsibility for the care of sick and disabled family members.

From an economic perspective, expenditure on the implementation of policies to support families is an investment and not a cost to society. These observations are the result of recent research commissioned by the department in 2004, which supports the need for a National Policy Framework for families. Hon Minister, what has happened to this policy framework? We are six years down the road and worse off for not having followed through with this process. Has it been budgeted for in this financial year?

Organisations working with children have welcomed the Child Protection Bill and the Child Justice Act, but remain concerned that this department does not have the capacity to implement them.

The budget does not support the department's promises to prioritise welfare services such as the capacity building of social service professionals and addressing the needs of vulnerable members of society, children, older persons, victims of violence and people with disabilities. The budget also plays to place social-work scholarships in jeopardy. This initiative cannot afford to be disrupted; in fact, it should be expanded. Chronic shortages of social work professionals undermine every aspect of social services.

Child welfare organisations have reported an increase in evidence of the misuse of grants. They say many children remain neglected even though their parents receive a child grant. They believe that schools and teachers who are in day-to-day contact with children must be brought on board. If a child does not fare well and is neglected in any way, they should report it in the knowledge that the department will follow up. At the same time child report lines like Childline need more exposure to sensitise communities to report abuse and fraud.

We note the decrease in the budget allocation of the community development programme. We hope this reduction will not impede efforts to mobilise communities to organise childcare over the World Cup holidays. Child welfare agencies say that for many, school is a safety net from abuse and provides possibly the only meal a child gets in a day. They will be without this protection and provision for a longer period in these holidays and, while there is heightened awareness of trafficking, these agencies believe that there is even more likelihood that uncared-for children will be abused by people within their own communities. The ACDP supports this budget. Thank you. [Time expired.] [Applause.]

Ms M N MATLADI


Mrs C DUDLEY

Ms M N MATLADI: Chairperson, the UCDP would like to applaud the department for the extension of the child support grant to the age of 18 years. This is indeed in line with the Constitution, which defines a child as any person under the age of 18 and thus entitled to social services. Also to be applauded is the finalisation of the regulations of the Children's Act, which has long been overdue.

Nevertheless, we have to look into measures of monitoring the use of the child support grant because it has been reported that it is being misused, especially by young mothers. It is disheartening to note that the SA Social Agency still has so many irregular practices in executing its duties. It appears from the annual report that there has been erroneous duplication of grant payments, that it could not be confirmed in all instances whether the correct person received the correct amount of relief aid at the correct time and place. These errors exacerbate chances of fraudulent activities, which has always been reported in this department.

It is unacceptable that the department should report irregular expenditure in excess of R6 million, regardless of whether this was Sasa's or the department's. The department plays a critical role in intervention services and therefore irregular expenses cannot be tolerated. Such amounts could literally have been used to save souls.

The department needs to table a workable plan on how they intend dealing with the vast shortages in their human resource, in social work in particular. Their previous recruitment strategy does not seem to have worked, as we are still sitting with the very same crisis.

We are impressed by the eight strategic focus areas that the department has chosen for service delivery, policy formulation and programme development, but without an efficient workforce this shall remain just a dream. To be empowered are the community-based organisations that continue to be registered, but do not get any funding. The department must put its money where its mouth is. It is rather useless to register tens of thousands of nonprofit organisations when there is no proper plan to empower them.

Setswana:

UCDP ya re motse o lapeng, e boa gape e re mmamotho o amiwa le ga a sule, e re lefapha le le mo diatleng tse di siameng tsa go direla setšhaba mme e atlenegisa Tekanyetsokabo e. Re a leboga. [Legofi.]

Ms P TSHWETE


Ms M N MATLADI

Ms P TSHWETE: Chairperson, allow me to greet the hon Ministers and Deputy Ministers, hon chairperson of the portfolio committee, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, and also the MEC from my province, Nonkosi Mvana. Let me start by thanking the chairperson and members of the portfolio committee for giving me the opportunity to participate in this Budget Vote.

At this juncture, it is important for us to look back and make a thorough assessment of where we have come from. At this juncture, we must be both proud and disappointed. We must be proud of the rural slopes and townships we have reached, and proud of the portion of hope we have introduced to the impoverished and darkest areas of our new South Africa. At the same time, we must be disappointed that we did not reach all the families we intended to reach, either because of individuals corrupting our system for self-benefit or as a result of governmental setbacks and complications.

Still, when one weighs our pride in our successes against the weight of our disappointments, the scale of social injustice tells us that we are on the right course. Our accomplishments display that we are busy transforming our society into a united, democratic South Africa.

IsiXhosa:

Intetho yam bendiyilungise ngesiXhosa nesiNgesi, kodwa ngenxa yokuchukumiseka zizinto ezithethiweyo apha ngaphambili, ndicinga ukuba kwakundibhudisa kakhulu ukuthetha ngesiNgesi kuphela.

Ndifuna nje ukukhumbuza abantu - kuba intetho yam ikakhulu ingenxaxheba ethatyathwe ngurhulumente ophetheyo ekondleni abantwana - asele belibele, abathetha ngemigca eyenziwa ngurhulumenete we-ANC. Ikhona ingoma yamaXhosa ethi: "Ngabula wen' unethemba liyatshon' ilanga." Laa ngoma iyathetha emaXhoseni, ithi ikhona into oza kuyifumana ukutshona kwelanga.

Ukuma kwabaya bantwana kula migca kuthetha ukuba likhona ithemba; ikhona into abaza kuyifumana. Njengokuba ebantwini le migca isisono, kwabaya bantu baphaya ezilalini ithetha ukuba bangema kulaa migca, baza kulala betyile. [Kwaqhwatywa.]

English:

I want to remind you that the government prior to 1994 introduced the State Maintenance Grant, which was paid to low-income, single parents with a maximum of two children up to the age of 18. The beneficiaries of this grant would be unmarried or separated mothers, widows - like me - or guardians living with a child, on condition that the spouse is either in prison, or in a drug treatment centre for more than six months.

IsiXhosa:

Le mali ibingafunyanwa ngabantu abamnyama. Itsho le nto. Ibisiya kubantu abamhlophe, kumaNdiya nakubantu bebala. Nalapho ke bekungathi kuba ungumntu webala okanye umNndiya uza kufumana imali elingana neyabamhlophe. Ibingalingani neyabantu abamhlophe. Ibishiyana nge-7,5 yeepesenti, nto leyo ithetha ukuba kudala sicinezelwe.

Zezi ngxaki ke ezi athe walwa nazo lo rhulumente akuthatha iintambo ngo1994. Kukho into endiyiqonda ngoku sele ndiguga ukuba abanomgogwana sasibanikwa boorhulumente beBophuthatswana, Venda neCiskei babethetha ukuba ayizi kubakho le migca. Babethetha ukuba nina bantu bamnyama siza kunigcina apho kwezo ndawo. Anizi kufumana nto. Kukho imigca nje namhlanje, kungenxa yokuba ithemba likhona. [Kwaqhwatywa.]

Umntu ebengayifumani le mali yabantwana ngenxa yobuhlanga bakhe. Ndiqinisekile ukuba abantu abalapha abafundileyo bayazibuza namhlanje ukuba: Ndide ndize kuma kule ndawo ndibe nesidanga ndifunde njani? Ngoba zazingekho ngaloo maxesha iimali ezazabelwa abantwana. Zazihamba ngokuba ungumntu mhlophe okanye omnyama na. Ngoko ke ngenxa yokuba abantu abamnyama babecinezelwe, babengasifumani isibonelelo semali yabantwana.

Ndifuna ukunaba ndithi ke ngenxa yoko...

English:

... since the birth of democracy in 1994, the priority of our government, under the leadership of the ruling party, the ANC, has been to reform our social security system by replacing the State Maintenance Grant with a new child support grant.

Social assistance, which was introduced in 1998, is an income in the form of a grant provided to the vulnerable, poor and destitute. It provides for those who were previously uncounted and unimportant, as well as those whose voices were muted by the colour of their skin. As a result of the ANC's commitment to change, South Africans can now be counted and supported in their struggle against poverty.

IsiXhosa:

Esi sibonelelo, namhlanje sibonwa ngabanye ngokuba senza ukuba inani labantwana abamithayo lande. Ndifuna ukuthi yinto engekhoyo leyo, kwaye ayizi kuyeka i-ANC ukunika abantwana isibonelelo ngenxa yokuba kusithiwa kuyamithwa. Kudala kwamithwa, kwakumithwa nakurhulumente ongaphambili. Akuqalwa ngoku ukumithwa. [Kwahlekwa.]

Ndifuna nokuthi, ukuba singathi sisonke singamalungu aleNdlu, kweliya cala nakweli cala, sithenge umatshini ukukhawulelana nezi zigidi kuthiwa ziyebiwa ngurhulumente. Uthi uMam' uGcume bathi xa befuna isibonelelo kubuzwe ukuba ootata baphi na. Ukuba singagqiba sonke kule Ndlu ukuba sithenge umatshini ekuzakufakwa kuwo indoda nganye ukuze usixelele ukuba indoda leyo inabantwana abangaphi aph' emhlabeni. [Kwahlekwa.] Isizathu kukuba umntu akasoze angabuzwa ukuba uphi na utata womntwana. Urhulumente akazi kusuka anike umntu imali engakhange abuze ukuba uphi na utata womntwana, ngoba lo mntwana akenziwanga ngumoya, wenziwe ngutata. Ngoko ke kuyanyanzeleka ukuba kubuzwe ukuba uphi na utata wakhe. [Kwahlekwa.]

Ukuba kungenzeka sikwazi ukuwuthenga lo matshini, kungongeka izigidi zeerandi, ngoba loo matshini ungasixelele ukuba abanye ootata balapha phakathi kwethu, bayarhola. [Kwahlekwa.]

English:

The adoption of the South African Social Security Act and the Social Assistance Act 13 of 2004 paved the way for the establishment of the South African Social Security Agency, Sassa, which would streamline the largely fragmented payment and administration of social grants.

IsiXhosa:

Ndiyayithanda mna into yokuba umntu azixele ukuba unabo abantwana, ngoba loo nto ithetha ukuba uyabondla. Aba bangaxelwayo ngaba bondliwa ngurhulumente, abanye babantu abangabaxeliyo balapha kuthi.

English:

As a result of these reforms and interventions, we have noticed a huge growth in the number of beneficiaries.

IsiXhosa:

Le mali inikwa abantwana yenze ukuba bande abantwana ezikolweni. Ezikolweni abantwana bafumana imfundo esisiseko esimahla nokuba bakwazi ukukhawulelana nendlala.

English:

The growth I'm talking about has seen the number of beneficiaries increase from fewer than 3 million in 1997, to 13,8 million in 2010. The increase in the number of beneficiaries has been coupled with an increase in the budget. The expenditure on social security has increased from R23,6 billion in 1997-98 to a projected R89 billion for 2010-11.

IsiXhosa:

Andifuni ukuhlala phantsi ndingayicacisanga into eyenziwe nguMongameli wethu yokwandisa uHlahlo-lwabiwo Mali ukuze kunyuswe iminyaka yabantwana abafumana izibonelelo iye kuma kubantwana abaneminyaka eli-18. Le nto yenze ithemba kakhulu kubantu bethu. Siyabulela kuMongameli nakuzo zonke iinkokeli ze-ANC. Sibulela ngenkxaso abayinike abantwana kunye nenguqu abayenzileyo kubomi babo. [Kwaqhwatywa.]

Izinto esithe sabona ukuba mazenzeke ebantwaneni azikhange zisenze ukuba singaboni ukuba sinazo iingxaki. Sinazo iingxaki mam' uGcume. Iingxaki esinazo zezokuba kwabona aba bantu baqeshiweyo bayamosha, kuba kaloku xa kucelwa izicelo zemisebenzi umntu akabhali ukuba ulisela kuso. Ngoko ke sijonga isicelo, simqeshe umntu, kanti uza kumosha lo rhulumente.

Into ebuhlungu ke kukuba xa lo rhulumente sele emoshiwe ngumntwana womntu, loo mntu uzakuthi yi-ANC, kanti abaya bantu bamoshayo abangomalungu e-ANC bonke. Loo nto ithetha ukuba sineengxaki ekufuneka silwe nazo.

Enye yezi ngxaki sithetha ngazo yeyokuba kukho abantwana abafumana izibonelelo bengengobalapha eMzantsi Afrika. Ithi ke loo nto, sonke thina silapha kufuneka sisebenzisane neSebe lezoPhuhliso loLuntu, ngoba alikwazi ukuyilwa lilodwa le ngxaki. ISebe lezoPhuhliso loLuntu kufuneka libonisene neSebe lemiCimbi yezeKhaya ukulwa ezingxaki. Asiyo ngxaki yeSebe lezoPhuhliso loLuntu leyo.

Into endithanda ukuthi gqabagqaba ndiyithethe yeyokuba kwizinto athe wazenza urhulumente we-ANC, ezingaphezulu kwesizame ukuzenza thina, sisibonelelo esithe senza inguqu. Kaloku umntwana olala engatyanga akakwazi ukumamela esikolweni, uyeke nje into yokuba kusithiwa... [Kwaphela Ixesha.] Siyaluxhasa uHlahlo-lwabiwo Mali. [Kwaqhwatywa.]

Ms L LAMOELA


Ms H LAMOELA

The TEMPORARY CHAIRPERSON (Mr NDABANDABA): In the absence of the hon Bhoola, who was supposed to address the House for three minutes, we shall proceed to the next speaker, hon H Lamoela.

Ms H LAMOELA: Chair, I would like to tell the hon Tshwete that I think the hon Kopane is not that worried about the queues, but about the seats and shelter that are not there for the beneficiaries. [Interjections.]

Ms P TSHWETE: My time is over now.

The TEMPORARY CHAIRPERSON (Mr NDABANDABA): Take your seat, hon member.

Ms P TSHWETE: Do you want me to answer a question? What is this? Is it a point of order or a question? I don't know what the hon Lamoela is talking about. [Laughter.]

The TEMPORARY CHAIRPERSON (Mr NDABANDABA): Please proceed, hon member.

Ms H LAMOELA: Thank you. I think the government of the day should really look at the situation of men fathering children. It is time that if a man fathers a child, he must maintain that child. [Applause.]

The aim of the Department of Social Development is:

To ensure the provision of comprehensive, integrated, sustainable and quality social development services targeted at vulnerability and poverty, and to create an enabling environment for sustainable development with those committed to building a caring society.

This department, however, is still faced with challenges, such as children trapped in poverty. Two weeks ago, I read about a three-year-old who died of hunger while the mother was giving birth to a second child. There is fraud and corruption, a lack of office space and resources, and shortages of much-needed social workers, to name only a few.

However, the Department of Social Development is trying their utmost to improve all welfare services by developing, piloting and implementing norms and standards for delivering much-needed welfare services. Getting people off social grants remains a challenge, and job creation, skills development and education are useful tools to help eradicate poverty.

Our hon President, in his state of the nation address, said, "Creating decent work remains at the centre of government's economic policies." Therefore if we are indeed serious about creating a self-reliant society, we need to break the cycle of dependency and start exploring social entrepreneurship. Time frames set for strategies to be implemented must be reached so as to enable the department to make progress, eradicate poverty and help build a caring society.

The SA Social Security Agency, Sassa, will have to set the bar much higher in order to succeed in improving the situation in the department. First, fees for consultants, contractors and special services have increased, and the department should rather look at in-house training of their own employees to bring relief to an already strained budget.

Second, though significant gains were made in the fight to eliminate fraud from the system, the DA sincerely hopes that further strategies to avoid fraudulent and corrupt activities are in place. Sassa needs to be reminded that the more corrupt activities they encounter, the greater the chance of eventually growing accustomed to these irregularities. Overpayment to service providers is unacceptable. Surely we all know that payments need to take place only if invoices or statements for goods or services delivered are received and checked.

Third, the retention of staff remains a great concern. In total, 571 employees resigned in 2008-09, bringing the vacancy rate to 57,9%. This situation surely has serious implications for service delivery and one wonders what the real reason is for this high turnover of staff in Sassa. I think it impacts heavily on continuity.

Afrikaans:

Geweldige tekorte aan menslike hulpbronne kan die uitbranding van gewillige, reeds belaaide personeel veroorsaak, en ek wil Sassa daarteen waarsku, want dit kan gebeur.

English:

Fourth, the moratorium on the filling of critical posts also contributes to Sassa not performing at top level.

Fifthly, the asset register for Sassa needs to be completed, as this department has been up and running for approximately four years now. The deficiencies found in the asset register were the following: the existence of various assets could not be verified; the asset register was not updated when assets were removed from one location to another; assets were described incorrectly, and in certain instances barcode numbers were duplicated.

Sixth, performance bonuses must be based on excelling in duties and achievements reached, rather than on non-performance.

Lastly, a valid performance system is of pivotal importance, and must be put in place. The right person needs to be appointed to the right job. We need to get the correct mix of competencies to serve the citizens of our country. This step will ensure that accountability and competency play a greater role in our department.

The Independent Tribunal for Social Assistance Appeals is still experiencing severe backlogs, and in some cases applicants have to wait for up to two years before outcomes are processed.

Quite soon, we will also have dilemmas surrounding the extension of orders for foster-care grants, as these needs to be updated every two years to allow Sassa to pay beneficiaries effectively. Is the Department of Justice and Social Development aware of the very important role they now play in reviewed extensions of foster-care grants? The Deputy Minister just mentioned that we have approximately 1 million children already sharing in foster-care grants.

Foster-care parents play an important role in keeping foster-care children in their care, and they can surely not afford the cancellation of these grants. The DA would like to suggest - and now I am surely on very slippery ground - that we explore the avenue of adoption. Though adoption is always a preferred option, we must be mindful of preserving cultural sensitivities and heritage.

Afrikaans:

'n Groot bron van kommer vir die DA is die 40 mobiele kantooreenhede wat deur Sassa plus-minus drie jaar gelede aangeskaf was, teen 'n koste van meer as R49 miljoen, met 'n addisionele bedrag van meer as R32 miljoen vir onderhoud en branding van hierdie eenhede. Hierdie mobiele eenhede sou die plattelandse gebiede bedien, om sodoende dienste aan afgeleë gebiede te bring. En dit was goed en baie wel dat ons die platteland ook 'n kans gee. Double Ring Trading 222 (Pty) Ltd het hierdie voertuie aan die departement voorsien.

English:

Chairperson, the annual report states:

During the year under review, it seems as if there was no compliance with the SLA, the service level agreement, which might have resulted in fruitless and wasteful expenditure, and the Auditor-General also found that some of the sub-assets in the mobile units were missing.

Afrikaans:

Nuwe goed het weggeraak.

English:

Recently, we discovered that only 10 of these mobile office units were operating, and the other 30 were parked in offices of Sassa around the country. Budgetary constraints are the main reason for this. Two weeks ago, I also found out that not all 10 are even operating.

The following questions now arise: First, was a proper impact study done on the real needs of these mobile units? Second, were the cost implications of this project thoroughly considered, especially on the use of satellite rather than 3Gs, bearing in mind that most of these mobile units were to operate in rural and remote rural areas? Third, was anybody benefiting from the tender? Fourth, did the department do any follow-up on the sub-assets that were missing from these mobile units? Lastly, were any guarantees given? These were new units.

Sassa needs to explain to us just when all these office mobile units will be up and running. Surely they realise that this is tied-up capital which could be of great use to an already strained budget?

Afrikaans:

Tydens my besoeke aan projekte van die Nasionale Ontwikkelingsagentskap was dit skokkend om te vind dat een van hierdie projekte - nogal in my kiesafdeling, Witzenberg - 'n plaas, Tweefontein, reeds 'n geruimte tyd lankal verkoop is. Twee ander projekte was twee jaar gelede gevra om bankrekeninge oop te maak sodat daar fondse inbetaal kon word. Tot vandag toe, was geen fondse nog inbetaal nie.

Tydens ons komiteevergadering is hierdie feite aan NDA oorgedra en, verbasend, was hulle geensins daarvan bewus nie. Vandag,'n maand later, is die DA nog steeds nie voorsien nie van die jongste lys van nuwe projekte, asook enige terugvoering in hierdie verband, soos belowe deur die waarnemende hoof uitvoerende beampte.

English:

This situation of not monitoring and evaluating makes me realise that we still have not succeeded in mastering the art of successfully monitoring and evaluating, which is of pivotal importance to any department in reaching their goals.

Afrikaans:

Voorsitter, ek wil graag hier ook mnr Waldi Terblanche, mev Burlingham, mnr Pheiffer, mnr Slater en hul spanne hartlik bedank vir hul besondere bydrae om die lewe van soveel afhanklikes van toelaes in beide die Wes-Kaap en die Oos-Kaap te verbeter. Baie dankie vir al die Saterdae – en ek weet nie of hulle hier in die gehoor is nie – wat julle in verafgeleë gebiede saam met die departemente van Justisie, Binnelandse Sake en die SA Polisiediens gewerk het om die lot van minder-bevoorregtes te verbeter. Ons waardeer dit.

English:

I urge the department to rise to the challenge of today and tomorrow, for which we are not prepared. Let us rise to at least improving what we can do best, and the DA is only too willing to walk the walk with you. [Time expired.] [Applause.]

Ms W J NELSON


Mrs H LAMOELA

Ms W J NELSON: Thank you, Chairperson. Hon Minister, Deputy Minister, chairperson of the portfolio committee, hon members, ladies and gentlemen, when the Department of Social Development says that its key objective is to implement appropriate policy interventions that respond to the immediate needs of individuals and communities, while at the same time engaging in policy and research to explore long-term solutions that will address systemic poverty and equality – and at this stage we must just remind the hon Gcume that we must not forget that poverty is systemic – and when the department says that its areas of focus are social security, welfare services and community development, which are delivered through provincial social departments and entities such as the SA Social Security Agency, Sassa, the National Development Agency, the NDA, the Central Drug Authority, the CDA, and the network of nongovernmental organisations, it is not doing so by chance.

Rather, it is doing so on the mandate of the ruling party, the ANC, through resolutions taken at various conferences and through our manifesto, which is a contract with the people of our country. Welfare Services, which is one of the programmes run by Social Development, creates an environment for the delivery of equitable developmental welfare services through the formulation of policies, standards and best practices, as well as support to social service providers.

Various policies and programmes have been designed to address the needs of vulnerable members of our society, with special reference to children, older persons, victims of violence and people with disabilities. In order to give effect to these services, key pieces of legislation had to be developed, as well as the continuous capacity building of social service professionals. It is for this reason, hon Dudley, that the department made R226 million available in the past financial year to be spent on sponsoring or giving bursaries to 6 372 social work students. This was done precisely because of the shortage and dire need of social workers within our country. Currently 5 421 students are registered to study social work at various institutions of higher learning. It was also possible to place 1 240 students who had graduated into the various social work departments around the country.

The Children's Amendment Act, Act 41 of 2007, seeks to afford children the necessary care, protection and assistance so that they can develop to their full potential in order to assume their responsibilities in their communities. Forty-three of the 315 sections of the Children's Amendment Act were put into operation in July 2007. Further sections were promulgated in April 2010. Regulations pertaining to children's courts, court orders, the review of decisions by the courts and international child abduction have been finalised and gazetted by the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development.

Afrikaans:

Afgesien van wat reeds bereik is, is daar nog baie werk wat gedoen moet word om in die behoeftes van die kinders in ons land te voorsien. [Apart from what has already been achieved, a lot of work must still be done in providing for the needs of our country's children.]

English:

Let me address hon Kopane regarding the child protection register. Social workers forward these names to the department, where data capturers log this information. The register referred to can therefore only make it easier in future by providing a basis of reference.

The issue of children living and working on the streets is also addressed in this Act. Information received last year indicated that 1 956 children were in shelters and 1 594 were in drop-in centres. The Strategy and Guidelines for Children Living and Working on the Streets has been developed and gives guidance regarding the services and programmes rendered to children who live on the streets.

The Early Childhood Development (ECD) programme was identified as one of the Apex priorities and in the past financial year 1 172 new ECD centres were registered. This then brings the total number of children who benefit from the ECD subsidy to about 424 000. We must add that many of these centres are in the rural areas, which brings this service to children in very remote regions.

This Act also deals with youth and child-care centres and currently we have 41 temporary places of care, 54 shelters for children working and living on the streets and 240 children's homes around the country.

The family is the core of society and is integral to the general wellbeing of individuals in relation to their psycho-social, emotional, physical, spiritual and economic needs. A well-functioning family provides its members with emotional, social and material support which sustains them throughout life. It is also the cradle from which the values and norms of a society are transmitted and preserved. The situation of families therefore gave impetus to the development of the draft national family policy. The vision of this draft policy is premised on a well-functioning, independent, resilient and socially integrated South African family that is able to nurture, support and provide care to its members.

Afrikaans:

Die familie is die kern waarin waardes en norme gevorm word. Die verval van families sal lei tot die verbrokkeling van ons gemeenskappe. [The family is the core where values and norms are shaped. The deterioration of families will lead to the disintegration of our communities.]

English:

It is for this reason that programmes promoting the strengthening of families for family preservation and family resilience are run. These include: The Institution of Marriage and Sound Relationships; Integrated Parenting Framework; Family Preservation Framework; Capacity Building on the Framework of Positive Values; Families in Crisis; and Mediation as an Alternative to Dispute Resolution.

I want to say to hon Lamoela that we are in agreement that it is very necessary to get children into adopted families, and not just in foster care, where they move around from family to family. I think that earlier on the Minister alluded to how crucial this is.

The Child Justice Act, Act 75 of 2008, gave rise to more requirements for probation services, especially ensuring sufficient diversion programmes in all areas, the assessment of every arrested child within 48 hours, as well as the provisioning of additional home-based supervision programmes. This Act makes provision for the rights of children to be enacted and protected as provided for in the Constitution.

We all know about the scourge of alcohol and drug abuse, which is responsible for most of the violent crime, the abuse of women and children, as well as the road carnage in our country. A drug master plan has been developed and is currently being implemented. Mini drug master plans for provinces have also been developed. What is important, though, is that we need to establish whether these mini drug master plans are being implemented by role players within the provinces.

The International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking is celebrated annually in June and the Ke Moja media campaign has reached more than 20 million youth and adults in our country.

With regard to victim empowerment, guidelines for the victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, violent crimes and human trafficking were developed and approved and stakeholders have been workshopped on these guidelines.

Legislation pertaining to older persons, as alluded to by the Minister, will take effect from April of this year. It will address the challenges plaguing the more than 3 million older persons in our country. This legislation seeks to promote the rights of older persons by addressing service centres which facilitate developmental programmes; rehabilitation services; frail-care services for house-bound older persons; and caregiver programmes. These services have been in existence with minimal support from government, hence this legislation aims to ensure that ageing policies, legislation and strategies for economic, social and political inclusion of older persons are complied with. It is our responsibility to ensure that these policies are implemented in order to preserve the dignity of our aged.

In his state of the nation address the President declared this year as the year of action, committing government to working faster, harder and smarter. He also continued the call made in the 2009 address for all South Africans to work together in addressing the challenges facing the country. These challenges, however, can only be faced if we work together and display an attitude such as that displayed by the hon Matladi, instead of just sitting and spewing forth negative criticism.

Further, our country's Constitution encourages active participatory democracy by its citizens and the empowerment of people's lives through social cohesion. Working together with the ANC government, many of our people are involved daily in their communities in order to make them better places to live in, but more still needs to be done in order to deepen and broaden this participation.

Together with our people the ANC government will continue to provide the necessary support to the building and strengthening of the institutions of popular democracy and social cohesion. The ANC therefore supports this budget. I thank you. [Applause.]

Ms W J NELSON

The MINISTER OF SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT: Hon Chairperson, let me start by acknowledging all the comments made by hon members in this debate and indeed appreciate the support indicated. It is the support that we always get, even in our discussions at portfolio committee level. We also acknowledge the comments made by the committee chairperson in relation to the need for monitoring of projects in and at the National Development Agency, NDA. Other hon members raised this matter as well. We will certainly improve in this regard.

I also note the issue raised about a very important aspect of our work, one which concerns all of us, regarding the disintegration of families, which leads to some of the social ills we see in or country now. We will have to work together in this regard because indeed there are programmes in the department that we are implementing, as alluded to by the hon Deputy Minister, to deal with those challenges.

I also want to acknowledge that indeed we still do not have enough and adequate victim empowerment centres or homes for aged. I am sure that all of us understand why this is happening, as we had discussions at committee level. We have begun bringing into operation both the Children's and Older Persons acts. We are at the beginning of implementation and obviously we have to increase resources and ensure that we really build on what we have started.

I note that hon members are making comments understanding that the implementation of these two acts only started on 01 April, which is about a few weeks ago. But allocations of resources will be made in this regard.

We would like to deal with the issue of appeals. It is important to understand that it is not necessary in all of the cases that we received appeals on for the South African Social Security Agency, Sassa, to agree. Many of the appeal cases against Sassa relate to people who are unhappy with the fact that their applications have been turned down. Therefore, the number that you see does not quite reflect that all these people are not being assisted. It is a fact that in some cases, even though we had laws in place that said appeal again, again and again, you would not end up with a situation where you say, yes, this application is granted - for various reasons, of course.

But where appeals are made and they are actually genuine appeals, where we indeed agree that there are problems, as we have stated in the budget speech earlier on, those appeals are granted and we pay those recipients. It is for that reason that we have establish this appeal tribunal. We funded it to the tune of R171 million, to deal with the backlog that we see so that we can come on par, as South Africans, and put it behind us once and for all. We hope that in future there will be a natural and normal appeals situation, not at the scale at which appeals are right now.

With regard to the approval of the applications, we remain committed to improving service delivery in that regard. This ANC-led government has taken pains in bringing into the database the many, many people who were left behind with regard to the pension payments. Hon members said so earlier on. Therefore we can't look away when registration is not happening on time. It is for that reason that we will always be obliged to this aspect of the act. It says that all of us should actually respond positively or otherwise to an application within 90 days of that application being made. If an appeal is also made, it has to be responded to within 90 days. We are saying we want to improve on that service delivery aspect by making it one day. The act says 90 days but we want to make it one day. By the way, we are currently on the 21 days turnaround time. We want to get to one day.

I have personally seen the improved grants application process, Igap, in action in the Free State province. Members and ordinary citizens arrived there because that's where we are implementing this Igap turnaround programme. They'll leave an office where they've submitted an application with a letter of approval already. It is happening in the Free State as I'm speaking. This is what we are saying will have to be replicated in all the other provinces throughout the country.

Sassa, in partnership with the Department of Home Affairs, has embarked on data quality management clearing. Hon members have actually raised the issue of the integration and interdepartmental collation that's required. The hon Minister of the Department of Home Affairs is here with us and I want to put on record that we work hand in hand with that department on a daily basis. We are doing the data clearing together and are even together on a daily basis on every outreach programme. [Applause.]

The fact that we can do these registrations online and people come out with a letter of approvalimmediately is not because there could be fraud. It's because our systems are linked. Home Affairs can say, through their system, "yes, Social Development, it is okay, you can give that person a grant". We would have checked because the systems are linked.

We will also deal with the issue of the Children's Act. The hon member Kopane may perhaps not have read this act properly. It suggests that the Children's Act makes provision for the registration to be fully operational within 18 months after the commencement date of the act, which is 01 April this year, we said. Now that the act is under implementation, I said the act says 18 months, as written and agreed to by us South Africans. We'll now have to draw up an electronic system and make it operational before the end of the allocated period. It is not because we are negligent, or Sassa or whoever is not doing this, or we don't care. It is because we are required to act within those timelines and, indeed, that's what we are doing.

Hon members have raised the issue of dependency on many occasions. Dependency on social grants comes up time and again. I have stated, as I did today, that there is really no scientific evidence to prove that such a dependency syndrome exists, or that people have babies deliberately. The hon member, my predecessor, has also stated that in the past. We are becoming anecdotal. These anecdotes do not change overnight into evidence, nor does an ideological perspective that fails to acknowledge that poverty is systemic and that no poor person chooses to be poor.

We have said before that, based on the very thorough, evidenced-based research that we've done, there are indeed positive aspects to social grants - the hon committee chairperson referred to these in her speech. As I indicated earlier on, positive aspects include better nutrition, kids going to school - you name them. People who are given grants are able to stand up and do something.

However, we take note that there is a need for activation strategies. Today, in this august House, we referred to this matter of urgent need, which we have started on. We referred to the Hemp and the Vondeling projects. These are activation strategies that bring about change in our societies and communities, which all of us must actually embark on. We are not shying away. We are saying, yes, let's give grants - but there's also a need to do something about the aspect of self-activation.

Hon Lamoela, we agree that the concerns you raised are genuine ones and we need to look at them. However, you will recall that in the meeting of the portfolio committee, particularly the Standing Committee onPublic Accounts,Scopa, we dealt exhaustively with the issues you have raised. It may well be necessary to go through your notes again when you leave this House. Needless to say, we will act on the issues raised in the Scopa meeting and here today by you. I also raised them in the Attorney-General's report.

Regarding the issue of the payment of contractors, yes, we have said here today and we are on record saying that there is a challenge. I'm saying again that this payment model is not sustainable and we will definitely do something about it. We will not shy away from dealing with it, as I have said. We hope we will have all the hon members' support in that regard.

Finally, as I conclude, I also want to deal with the issue of fraud, as raised by the hon members. Thank you for your support of the fact that we are dealing with fraud, as we are indeed doing. Yes, there is a whole list of people who were found to be defrauding the system. But we said, as South Africans, that the list was so long at this time that we rather needed to make people pay. People are in fact busy paying back now, which is indicative of the fact that there is punishment because money is already being repaid. Those who are not willing to pay will obviously go the route of jail. It is either/or, not both, at this time. We have named and shamed; those people are known. We have maybe not gone to the media with that list but it exists.

We must also remember that there is a problematic aspect, which we acknowledge, namely that our own systems still have problems. There are people whose economic conditions have changed, yet they remain on the list. They were not defrauding the state but they were there on the list. They came to us voluntarily and those are some of the people that we are removing right now.

We will deal with fraud and corruption unhindered and unashamedly. Again, we hope that we will have your support in this regard. We are delighted by your support today of this Budget Vote. Thank you very much. [Applause.]

Debate concluded.

The Committee rose at 12.22.


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