Chairperson, hon Minister, hon Deputy Minister, hon members, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, the ANC-led government salutes the late mother of the nation, Mama Albertina Sisulu, who has made a lasting contribution to the struggle for freedom in South Africa and will be greatly missed.
It was exciting when, on 9 May 2009, the announcement of the establishment of the Ministry for Women, Children and People with Disabilities was made, since it showed government's commitment to women's empowerment and gender equality, the rights of children and people with disabilities in line with the Freedom Charter principle that "all shall be equal before the law".
These three sectors are transversal and this is shown by the fact that various departments deal with the issues of women, children and people with disabilities. The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa 1996 is clear on the state's position regarding the rights, equality, empowerment and human dignity of women, children and people with disabilities.
The department presented its strategic plan, budget and annual operational plan to the portfolio committee. The committee also held a workshop with the department to further discuss the mandate and the strategic and annual operational plans of the department.
The mandate of the department and this Ministry is huge. For the Ministry to succeed, it will need to be properly resourced, both financially and with properly skilled personnel. It has taken us almost three years to have not only a fully functioning Ministry, but also a Ministry whose objectives and mandate is fully understood and appreciated by government departments, civil society and the private sector and whose impact still has to be felt by all of us.
The task is daunting. The role of the department is to build and contribute to strengthening the movement for global justice for women, children and people with disabilities. It is to co-ordinate, monitor and evaluate programmes in the three spheres of government, civil society and the private sector and requires the Ministry to fulfil its mandate smartly and with distinction. The department acts as a central co-ordinating point for national efforts on women's empowerment and ensures the mainstreaming of considerations relating to gender, children and people with disabilities in all national policies, programmes and activities. The ultimate goal is to achieve equality and ensure that institutional mechanisms at all levels and in all spheres of governance are strengthened and to open up a space where some serious thinking can be done on the inclusion of rural women, who are in the most poverty-stricken areas of our country.
The department has already signed a memorandum of understanding with several government departments and continues to do so with others. Some departments have already established a gender, children and people with disability desk, while others are in the process of doing so.
The department aims to drive, accelerate and oversee government's equity, equality and empowerment agenda on women, children and people with disabilities, especially in poor and rural communities, which is one of the government's priorities. We are part of the effort to attain the national goal to halve poverty and unemployment by 2014, in line with Millennium Development Goals.
It is encouraging that, under the leadership of the ANC, government continues to lead with regard to increasing women representation, with figures above 40% of elected positions in local government, Parliament and Cabinet. The ANC-led government has called on opposition parties to play their role in advancing the country towards gender parity.
In relation to the policy position of the ANC, you will remember that Cabinet endorsed the appointment of Nombulelo Pinky Moholi, as the chief executive officer of Telkom SA. I would like to congratulate Pinky Moholi on being the first woman chief executive officer to lead this major information and communications technology entity.
The government of the ANC also welcomes the announcement by the Johannesburg Stock Exchange that its deputy chief executive, Nicky Newton- King, will assume the position of chief executive at the end of this year. She becomes the first woman to run this institution in its history of 120 years. [Applause.]
We have to address the stereotypes that continue to limit opportunities for people with disabilities to participate fully in the economy. We have to stop the wrong perception that employing people with disabilities is either more expensive or limits productivity.
This department will have to make sure that more concerted efforts are made in the eradication of poverty among women and children; that no child is denied education and that they are in fact at school; that traditions of prejudice are removed and culturally sanctioned violence against women and children is tackled with conviction; that law enforcement does not turn a blind eye to women and child abuse; and that rape and sexual assault cases are reported.
The purpose of the first programme under our administration is to support the Minister and the department to provide effective leadership. We will help manage and give administrative support services to the Minister and sectors in the department. The budget allocated for this is R34,2 million for the financial year 2011-12.
Programme 2 is women empowerment and gender equality, which has received R64,6 million for the financial year 2011-12. The largest portion of the budget, R55,2 million, is to be transferred to the Commission for Gender Equality. The allocation for this programme is R9,1 million over the Medium- Term Expenditure Framework, MTEF, period, while R2,8 million has been allocated for 2011-12 financial year. Again, more than half of the programme budget is allocated for the remuneration of employees.
The committee is concerned that in each and every subprogramme more than half of the budget goes to salaries. Is it because of its mandate, in that this department is not one of service delivery, but of monitoring and evaluating and advocacy, or is it because the issues of women, children and people with disabilities are not taken seriously, hence the limited budget?
Under programme 3, children's rights and responsibilities have been allocated R35,7 million over the MTEF period and R9,6 million for the 2011- 12 financial year. In each of the subprogrammes more than 50% will be utilised for the compensation of employees. With the limited budget allocated, this impacts heavily on the implementation of flagship programmes for street children.
The targets of the Millennium Development Goals address extreme poverty, hunger and disease. These have an impact on children's survival, development and wellbeing. In this regard, the department has to work closely with the Department of Social Development, which is already happening.
Children who are orphans and child-headed households are more vulnerable. They are subject to abuse - physically, sexually and emotionally. According to the Department of Social Development, these occurrences contribute to the high levels of poverty, unemployment and family disintegration.
Programme 4, on the rights of people with disabilities, has been allocated R35,2 million over the MTEF period and R9,6 million for the 2011-12 financial year. As I indicated earlier, more than half of the programme budget is allocated for the compensation of employees, which leaves very little for the implementation of programmes.
In terms of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa with regards to the Employment Equity Act, the department is to draft and finalise the disability policy towards a Disability Bill. This area is very much neglected. As a result, even our government has failed to meet the minimum target of 2%. People with disabilities are living in poverty and are known to be the poorest of the poor within our community, and the most vulnerable. They are faced with many challenges, including access to buildings and various modes of transport. This is a challenge to the Department of Transport, as well as the Department of Public Works. I must emphasise the fact that we appreciate working together with these departments and their co-operation.
Allow me to share with you some achievements. A human resources director- general was appointed in November 2010; two of the three deputy directors- general were appointed in 2011; a number of chief directors were appointed across various sectors of the department; several directors were appointed, particularly in units dealing with research and policy development and with intersectoral and international co-operation, as well as in various units in the office of the director-general. Also, the department has now relocated physically from the Presidency to its own building.
The department has compiled the draft national mainstreaming strategy and the implementation plan on the rights, dignity and empowerment and equality for women, children and people with disabilities. It has also entered into a memorandum of understanding with the Departments of Health, Basic Education, Transport and others.
The national mainstreaming strategy and implementation plan that has been developed is being consulted upon. To date there have been four consultation processes with the national gender machinery, Gauteng provincial gender machinery and North West provincial gender machinery. A national task team has been established.
Regarding the child-friendly communities model, the concept document on piloting the model was developed in partnership with the United Nations Children's fund, Unicef, and the pilot initiative is to be in the City of Tshwane.
The department successfully commemorated and celebrated International Children's Day and the day of the African Child. It participated in the Third Conference of States Parties of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in New York in September 2010 and developed a memorandum of understanding with relevant departments regarding the transformation of sheltered workshops. These are a few of the many achievements - the list is long. In conclusion, the committee welcomes the development of gender equality. However, the department should also develop legislation that will enforce the implementation of programmes pertaining to children and people with disabilities. The department should prioritise the programmes for each branch - that is women, children and people with disabilities - bearing in mind the budgetary constraints and the department's mandate.
The ancient Chinese saying that women hold half the sky has to be lived and be alive in all societies, including ours. It cannot be left in policy documents, legislation, speeches and international instruments. It has to be felt, touched and lived by all. It has to reverberate in our homes, churches, schools, places of work, in Parliament and in politics. I thank you. [Applause.]
Hon Chair, Ministers, members and guests, let me start this debate by conveying my sincere condolences to the family of the late Mama Sisulu and pay tribute to her for the example she set in her life and work, and her commitment to the rights and wellbeing of all people. I met her once and I was immediately struck by her warmth, compassion and her interest in my views on building bridges to bring about greater unity and progress in South Africa. A memorial service will be held in St George's Cathedral on Friday at 12:30, and we invite you all to attend.
Hamba kahle, Mama. [Go well, my mother.] This is the first time that we will be discussing the Budget Vote on Women, Children and People with Disabilities with Minister Lulu Xingwana at the helm. Minister, we appreciate your more energetic and proactive approach to this portfolio. It's a portfolio that is full of challenges and we hope that you will find the necessary impetus to improve the effectiveness of your Ministry and department so that it can make a difference in the lives of those who need support. I am encouraged by some of your statements made today.
This portfolio is one that the DA approaches with some measure of conflict within. This is not because we do not place a high priority on the importance of the rights of vulnerable people. In fact, it is quite the opposite. We believe that their inclusion in our society carries such urgency that every possible resource should be directed at the input factors on which government needs to deliver much more effectively to ensure that women can compete on an equal footing with their male counterparts for the futures they desire; that our children, whether from rich or poor families, can grow up knowing that working hard and making use of their abilities in the very best way will guarantee them equal access to the opportunities that they should enjoy; and that persons with disabilities are not constantly discriminated against because of not having access to the necessary support services.
I speak of the all-important input factors that we have yet to get right - those that have such a huge impact on the welfare, wellbeing and progress of women, children and persons with disabilities. These are factors such as a good basic education; accessible quality health care; a safe and nonviolent environment to live in; an economy that grows enough opportunities for communities not to deteriorate under the strain of poverty; and an effective social network. It has yet to be proved that placing the promotion, monitoring and evaluation of this Ministry in a separate Ministry will improve delivery in these important areas to the benefit of vulnerable groups.
The burden of providing the proof has now been yours for just six months, Minister. We hope that by the end of this budget year you will have some compelling evidence to convince us that the decision was a wise one. What we do know is that the razzle-dazzle of issue campaigns and events will not provide the evidence we seek.
The evidence we require will only come from hard and focused work. As for where to start, I would recommend that we look at the degree to which government provides adequately for the support services that our women, children and persons with disabilities need to have access to. There is no question that government is currently failing vulnerable people who are being abused, those who have special needs or require rehabilitation.
There must be a much better focus of providing for the special-needs schools, the shelters and the homes that do this work. There are far too few Thuthuzela centres, too few social workers and clinical psychologists who can do counselling for victims of abuse and the secondary abuse of their families.
South African children are among the most traumatised in the world. In a recent study, it was stated that 91% of the children who had been interviewed had been exposed to traumatic events, including violent crime, domestic violence, rape and child abuse. It should not be left mainly to nongovernmental organisations, NGOs, to make therapeutic services available so that the host of negative outcomes associated with untreated trauma, such as emotional and behavioural disturbances, future criminal activity, substance abuse, school drop-outs, unwanted pregnancy and HIV infections, may be prevented.
There is little help from government in assisting families to cope with the special demands, physical, emotional and financial, placed on families who have children with disabilities. I would like to mention the special needs of children living with intellectual disabilities and with autism in particular. Autism South Africa tells us that a child with autism is born in South Africa every hour and that only one out of 1 000 children with autism receives beneficial education. Most of those lucky ones have NGOs to thank for the support they enjoy. For many of these NGOs and charities, it really is a struggle to survive. Should government not contribute to the funding? If more of these children could receive a specialised form of teaching, as provided for by the Special Needs Adapted Programme, Snap, for example, they could lead productive lives and complete their education in mainstream schools at far less cost.
I believe that one of the problems is that our Ministries and departments work in silos. Some support is provided by the Department of Social Development, some by the Department of Health, and yet some more by the Department of Basic Education. Perhaps this can be one of the significant roles that this Ministry can play, namely to investigate the alternatives that can be provided for people with special needs, and then monitor and co- ordinate their provision to make sure that their needs do not fall through the cracks.
This department should not be allowed to become the superficial plaster that covers the hideous wound of discrimination, whether gender discrimination, discrimination against the disabled or those who have been abused.
It's unfortunate that many of the organisational challenges faced by this Ministry and department are a result of the fact that it came into existence more as a function of political expediency than sound planning. From our interactions with the department, we have come to realise that it has yet to understand and resolve issues related to its mandate. This is a concern, as it has a direct impact on the performance of the department in terms of envisaged programmes and activities. The department so far has been unable to align its operational and strategic plans or focus its strategic objectives properly, and attach them to clear timelines. It's also of concern that there is no real clarity on the authority vested in this department with regard to the monitoring and evaluation of the policies and programmes of other departments. This is, of course, in addition to intradepartmental monitoring and evaluation work that the other departments should be doing, for example the 2% required quota for persons with disabilities, the work done by the department of performance monitoring and the work done by relevant Chapter 9 institutions, such as the Commission for Gender Equality, CGE.
The CGE is a tremendous drain on the budget and we have to question its real value. Not only is the CGE's enabling Act outdated, but it needs to be reviewed and harmonised with the Constitution. We recommend that the Asmal Report on the Chapter 9 institutions be tabled again and that the recommendations be taken seriously this time.
Last week at the Millennium Development Goals, MDGs, follow-up ministerial meeting in Tokyo, South Africa, through the Minister of International Relations and Co-operation, Mrs Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, stated very clearly that it supported the views expressed by the UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki- moon, that children and women are at the heart of the MDGs. If we are serious about pursuing the MDGs, then this department is where we must see those undertakings being turned from words into action.
There is also some concern about the increased budget being used mainly for salaries and administration, and not for programmes and positive outcomes. We do believe that under these conditions it would be difficult for the DA to give our unconditional support for Budget Vote No 8. We must caution that this Ministry does not become a rather expensive talk shop, running summits, conferences and releasing reports, but not finding application in reality. The needs are great and we must not fail the vulnerable. I thank you. [Applause.]
Sihlalo, mandiqale nam ngokuthi kusapho lakwaSisulu, "akuhlanga lungehlanga. Masimyekeni umama aphumle, ugqatso ulufezile, umzamo omhle uwuzamile." Lala ngoxolo Mama, uze usikhonzela apho uya khona. (Translation of isiXhosa paragraph follows.)
[Ms B C BLAAI: Chairperson, let me start by saying to the Sisulu family, "let the pain be palliated. Let Mama rest in peace, she has done her best, she has done her good endeavours." Rest in peace Mama, don't forget about us where you are going.]
Hon Chairperson, hon members, hon Minister, this department was established two and half years ago. However, it is still fumbling and its mandate remains a pie in the sky. While the department is struggling to gather momentum, gender inequality in our country is widening by the day. In the ranks of mothers, maternal and child mortality rates are on the rise. For the majority of disabled people there are no disability grants to access and such people are living in dire poverty.
Degrading "corrective rape" is still being inflicted routinely on women in our country. What extraordinary measures have this government taken to deal decisively with this problem? Are those who are brutally abusing women in this way feeling the weight of government? Women who are sex workers continue to suffer violence because such work is still criminalised.
Regarding child mortality, pneumonia has been cited as a leading cause of death among children below the age of five. An expert says in this day and age, this should not be happening. Children are more susceptible to pneumonia and consequent death because of overcrowding, pollution and lack of medical care. As a start, government should be strongly encouraging mothers to breastfeed their babies for the first six months. Parents should also be educated about the risks of passive smoking to babies. However, it is the vaccination of a baby that will yield the greatest benefit in the shortest space of time. We therefore ask, what extraordinary measures has this department taken in this regard?
With regard to the role of education for empowerment, I now wish to look at reproductive and maternal education. In his autobiography, Tata Nelson Mandela saw education as the greatest engine of personal development. We also know that maternal education is one of the strongest predictors of child survival. Having a mother with some secondary education more than halves the risk of child mortality in many countries. This is because education empowers mothers to seek antenatal care, demand skilled birth attendance, utilise health services and acquire knowledge about treatment for childhood illnesses. Educated women provide better nutrition and education to their children. In addition, they also have fewer children and lower rates of maternal mortality than those women with little or no education. Therefore, it pays a nation to ensure that its girls are well educated.
Educating women also leads to greater labour-force participation on their part. A favourite proverb of Mao Zedong was "women hold up half the sky". Today, in communist China, educated women are powering the Chinese economic miracle. When are we going to be able to say the same about South African women?
Cope believes inequalities in access to opportunities for good-quality education are reinforcing disparities in this country. Education, especially of girls and women, is one of the most powerful weapons for cutting the toll of fatalities in children under five and lowering the risks faced by women in pregnancy. Better-educated women are also better informed about the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV/Aids.
According to the 2001 Census, women with disabilities bear the brunt of discrimination and exclusion. They do so more acutely than men and tend to have a higher rate of disability than men. The percentage of disabled people was the highest among those who had no education and lowest among those with higher levels of education. This contributed to the fact that disabled persons are often excluded from educational opportunities due to the lack of access and on account of poverty.
Several studies have shown that as the proportion of women representatives in a country's parliament increases, corruption falls. It is worth noting that in our country the opposite is happening. Last year it was reported that a former Minister, who fortunately is no longer in the office, used thousands of rands of the taxpayer's money to entertain her political friends during a party she hosted for her unionist friends. [Interjections.]
Also, as if that was not bad enough, this year we read about a delegation of 49 government officials who flew business class to New York on a two- week trip paid by taxpayers, ostensibly to attend the 55th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women. Meanwhile the government debt is set to rise to R1,4 trillion.
In conclusion, Cope would like to express its concern with the allocation of R10,8 million to the monitoring ...
Which one?
The real one ... and evaluation subprogramme over the Medium- Term Expenditure Framework, MTEF, period. While R6,534 million will go to personnel, R2,9 million is allocated for co-ordinating consultative meetings with the national forum of provincial offices on the rights of children and the advisory council. [Interjections.] Why do we still need consultative meetings at this juncture?
The reply from the Minister to the question on whether the consolidation of the children's agenda has been fully developed gave an indication ... [Time expired.]
Hon Chairperson, hon Minister, hon members, and guests, the IFP believes that this government should have the wellbeing of its women, children and people with disabilities at the forefront of its objectives. This can be achieved by setting time-bound targets for addressing extreme poverty, hunger and disease, through the promotion of gender equality and education.
It is important that the vulnerable sector of our society, which this department is tasked to look after, is served in a goal-oriented manner, ensuring that our children's survival, development and wellbeing takes centre stage. The interests and wellbeing of children can never be overemphasised or overlooked. Our children are the future of this country.
It is therefore important that we address the HIV/Aids pandemic with the utmost sense of urgency. Children need both their parents - mothers and fathers. We must therefore increase our efforts to stop this epidemic from further decimating communities and families across our country.
It is also of the utmost importance to the IFP that children who are the victims of violence, abuse and neglect are given special priority. I would like to appeal to you, hon Minister, to ensure that full effect is given to the Children's Act in as far as it declares children living and working on the streets as children in need of care and protection.
Causes, as determined by the Department of Social Development, for the above abandonment and neglect of children must be addressed. The IFP would like to see a greater co-ordination of efforts between this Ministry and the Ministries of Social Development and Health. We feel that a holistic approach to this problem is the only way in which this crisis can be overcome.
Current maternal as well as child mortality rates must be reduced. We must do all we can to reach a significant reduction in the child mortality rate target, as set out by the 2015 Millennium Development Goals. Can the Minister give us her assurance that her department is doing its utmost to meet the 2015 Millennium Development Goal of reducing child mortality?
There is a disturbing trend developing among our teenage girls and young women who are resorting more and more to abortion as a form of birth control. This practice must be stopped. It is potentially seriously damaging to both body and mind and this can lead to permanent physical or psychological problems. Our girls and young women must be educated against this practice. In this instance, again, we should be working together with the Departments of Social Development and Health.
Minister, while your budget is relatively small and the tasks that you are expected to perform on behalf of this government are considerable, the IFP feels that much more must be done to drive government's equity, equality and empowerment agenda in terms of those living with disabilities. We must speed up the empowerment, advancement and socioeconomic development of persons with disabilities.
Minister, the IFP remains concerned about the future of this department. At the moment, it is clear that the ruling party itself does not understand the mandate of this department. [Interjections.] This has led to widespread confusion, which in turn has crippled the work of this department. [Interjections.]
Ngeke ningizwe kodwa uma nikhuluma kanje. [You can't hear me if you are so loud.]
We urgently stress that unless all stakeholders - from Cabinet to the portfolio committee level - understand and appreciate the mandate of this department, it will remain a proverbial sitting duck.
Another serious headache, Minister, is the Commission for Gender Equality. Despite the mismanagement of funds and corruption, it still receives a large chunk of this department's budget. What plans are in place to ensure that the CGE functions better going forward, and can the Minister give us the assurance that there will be no duplication in programmes run by the CGE and the Department of Women, Children and People with Disabilities?
In conclusion, you have many weighty tasks ahead of you, Minister, and the IFP wishes you all the best with this very demanding portfolio in 2011. We pledge our support to assist you to work towards a fully inclusive society that is free of discrimination, inequality and abuse. The IFP supports this Budget Vote. Thank you.
Chairperson, hon Minister, members of the portfolio committee, hon Members of Parliament, ladies and gentlemen, let me also join other hon members in sending our heartfelt condolences to the Sisulu family. The country remains grateful and indebted to Mama Albertina Sisulu, a stalwart of the liberation and an unassuming leader of all races of our people.
A moya wa gagwe o robale ka kagiso. [May her soul rest in peace.]
The ANC also wants to send a message of condolence to all the families of missing children and of those who were killed by adults who are meant to protect them.
Letsatsi lengwe le lengwe bana ba a bolawa, masea a latlhelwa mo mesimeng, dikarolo tsa mebele ya bona di a tsewa, ba iphitlhela ba le magareng ga tlhalano ya mme le rre, ba iphitlhela ba le magareng ga dintwa tsa selegae mme ba se na molato. (Translation of Setswana paragraph follows.)
[Every day children are killed, babies are thrown into pits, their their bodies mutilated for parts; they are caught up in their parents' divorce and they are caught within domestic violence at home while they are innocent.]
The ANC abhors the circumstances under which these children died and commits itself to continue seeking justice and bringing perpetrators to book.
I want to confirm that after the interaction with the Department of Women, Children and People with Disabilities, we have reiterated that this is not a service delivery department. This includes the IFP and Cope. I think we all understand the mandate of this department ... [Applause.] ... which is doing evaluation and monitoring with the aim to drive, accelerate and oversee the government's equity, equality and empowerment agenda for women, children and people with disabilities, especially from poor and rural communities. We therefore acknowledge the work done so far, hon Minister. The ANC supports Budget Vote No 8. The budget is the link between the outcomes targeted by the government and services that are ultimately delivered.
The main challenges faced by children in our country are poverty and abuse. Poverty often means a lack of access to quality health care and education resources, which can lead to poor health and school failure in children. Negative developmental outcomes for children have been linked to a variety of risk factors, such as having a poorly educated mother, or living in a household that is poor or headed by a single parent. More needs to be done to ensure that the child's socioeconomic rights are fulfilled.
The Polokwane Conference of the ANC resolved the following with regard to children's issues: firstly, the best interests of the child should be paramount, with child-headed households as the priority for protection and care. Secondly, the welfare of children must be promoted and, in this regard, to develop, monitor and measure tools which define and deal with child poverty. Thirdly, the safety nets for children must be strengthened to deal with child poverty, ongoing murders, disappearances, abuse and neglect. Lastly, childhood development centres must be strengthened and communities urged to understand and deal seriously with the rights of children. After all, of the over 49 million people in this country, 18,6 million are children under the age of 18 years.
Though we acknowledge that the needs of children are also addressed by numerous other service delivery departments, such as Health, Social Development and Education, it is disconcerting to note that the programme responsible for mainstreaming and co-ordination of children's rights has received only 1% of the country's budget for the current year.
Since the advent of this democracy in 1994, our country has put a comprehensive range of laws, policies and programmes in place to enable the realisation of children's socioeconomic rights. These laws place statutory duties on government to provide and budget for socioeconomic services and to clarify the roles and responsibilities of government spheres, departments and officials. Section 28 of the Constitution of our country underpins children's rights to be protected from violence, exploitation and abuse. This is in line with the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which was ratified in this country in 1995. Since then, the convention has become the most ratified human rights treaty, and it also underscores the accountability of governments, civil society, parents and the international community to fulfil their obligations towards their realisation of the rights of children and to ensure that these rights remain inalienable, integral and indivisible. The department will be developing children's rights, the mainstreaming strategy and the responsive budgeting strategy, which will be finalised by March 2012. We appreciate this, as it will hold other departments accountable.
One other question that we should ask the hon Minister is whether our country complies with its reporting obligations on the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child. The answer to this question is no. The country submitted its first report in 1997 and has not yet submitted its second and third report for 2002 and 2007 respectively. The lack of reporting prevents the treaty monitoring committees from evaluating South Africa's progress and from providing recommendations for improvement. We have been informed that these reports are before the Cabinet, but the committee has not received them yet. We would appreciate it if the department could come and brief the committee before the report is presented to the United Nations.
South African children have played a prominent role in the fight for their rights. The 1976 Soweto riots are also testament to the courage children displayed in standing up for what they believed in. We saw Comrade Hector Pieterson and many others shot by the police and other children were never seen by their families again. We salute the 1976 generation and say, even to those on my left, that we are what we are today because of them. [Applause.]
Children continue to be subjects of abuse and neglect. This continues despite the significant strides made in terms of the development of legislation, policies and programmes. The key challenge remains in the implementation and requisite costing and resources.
The Children's Act stipulates that children living and working in the streets are now regarded as children in need of care and protection. The Department of Social Development, as a lead department on street children's issues, is expected to provide the necessary resources as policies and legislation to protect and empower children living on the streets.
Modulasetulo, re bone toropo ya Tshwane e tsaya bana ba ba sa tlhokomelweng mo mebileng mo dingwageng tse fetileng, e ba isa kwa mafelong a a bolokegileng. Motho a ka ipotsa gore lenaneo le, le tla diriwa ga kae mo ngwageng? (Translation of Setswana paragraph follows.)
[Chairperson, in the past years we saw the City of Tshwane taking street children to safe places. One would ask oneself how many times would this initiative be done in a year.]
Is this initiative going to be effective and sustainable? In turn, the department also has a responsibility of creating awareness on legislation, policy and issues impacting on the lives of these children. Raising awareness is a fundamental prevention strategy that involves not only education on information, but also helps in changing attitudes and behaviour; hence the department launched the strategy and guidelines for children living on the streets during the Child Protection Week, last week.
The purpose of the strategy is to provide different stakeholders at national, provincial and local level with guidelines to develop their own programmes for the management of those children living and working on the streets.
South Africa is still on track to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, MDGs, of universal access to primary education and gender equality in education. Disadvantaged children are benefitting from free education through the no-fee and school fee exemption. There are also child-friendly school programmes initiated by the United Nations Children's Fund, Unicef, which aim to improve the quality of education through the integrated package of school interventions, which includes health, safety and protection. The ANC supports Budget Vote No 8. [Time expired.] [Applause.]
Chair, the ACDP notes that last week was Child Protection Week and we recognise that child protection in South Africa is in desperate need of prioritising and funding. Hon Minister, it is difficult to speak on the allocation of budget to a Ministry which has no real mandate. [Interjections.] How do we hold the Ministry accountable when there is no clarity on what it can or will achieve? You are colleagues and friends, and you know that I don't say this to discredit anyone. It is a genuine problem.
The general feeling among people working with the specified groups is that the Ministry should not exist. It covers 75% of the population and, yet, it has no actual service delivery function. Experts working with children say this Ministry marginalises women, children and people with disabilities, rather than focusing useful attention by having them in the mainstream. Australia has a women's Ministry, but it runs on very different lines to South Africa. The ACDP calls for a public debate on the department's authority, roles and responsibilities.
Stakeholders actually see this Ministry as diverting attention on children's matters away from relevant Ministries. Departments like Heath, Education and Social Development have the primary responsibility for children, and the mandate and the money; yet, children's matters are increasingly being drawn to a Ministry that can do nothing.
A consensus is that this budget should be urgently redirected into budgets where the Children's Act and the Child Justice Act - both of which are grossly underfunded - can be managed and implemented. Situations like the baby deaths at Manenberg Clinic and the children's home in Pinelands highlight the urgent need for funding to be directed to where it is needed most, and where it will have the biggest impact on communities.
Foster care grants have also ground to a halt because of insufficient funds, and churches, nongovernmental organisations, NGOs, and faith-based organisations providing child care are struggling to provide statutory services through lack of funding. Government subsidises children in these homes at R2 000 per child per month, while children in government homes are provided for at R6 000 per month. All these children are wards of the state and are sent equally to all these homes and places of care by the courts. All should be provided for equally.
No disrespect, hon Minister, but the funds presently going to the providing of capacity, offices, cars and salaries in this Ministry have no direct impact on improving the lives of children. It could be better used elsewhere.
The one task this Ministry has with regard to children is to submit a report from South Africa every five years to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. This is their core function, yet no report has been submitted since 1997, and there has been no explanation. It is nearly 10 years overdue and soon it will be time for another report. Hon Minister, what is the problem in this regard?
Now, on 30 March 2011, the Sowetan newspaper reported that 15 000 child rapes had been reported within a three-year period, with children between the ages of 12 and 17 years being most vulnerable. Hon Minister, you have said that the family violence, child protection and sexual offences units, which were disbanded in 2006, will be operational again at 176 police stations. The ACDP welcomes this development.
The ACDP has serious reservations in supporting this Budget Vote while its ability to improve the lives of women, children and people with disabilities is in question. I thank you. [Time expired.]
Modulasetilo, ke rata go simolola ka gore robala ka kagiso, mmarona. [Chairperson, I would like to start by saying rest in peace, mother of the nation.]
I will start from the end and say that I support the Budget Vote, but it's not with conviction that I do so. I do so half-heartedly, hoping for some miracle that would turn things around and make this department what women of South Africa had envisaged and hoped it would be, not just a paper pusher.
Ever since its inception, we have been faced with more questions than answers. The extent of confusion surrounding the department makes one wonder if its creation was not just a populist stance with no conviction and commitment to further the cause of women, children and people with disabilities as vulnerable groups.
What legislation will they rely on and what will they do if they find deviation from any state organ or department? The department states that it hopes to exercise sufficient influence over other departments in order to achieve its aims and objectives. For me, this is vague and lacks substance. Firstly, it sounds like a function already performed by various civil society organisations. Secondly, it lacks a strategy and speaks to the questions of power and authority.
I find it a bit incomprehensible that 57,2% of the entire budget in the last financial year was used for compensation of employees, which is more than half of the entire budget. In the same breath, the establishment of the department is said to have been slower because of lack of human resources and financial capacity. This seems to lack sense.
An amount of R24,5 million was allocated towards the establishment of the department in the last financial year. But, yet again, it is expected that about 30% of this budget will be allocated towards the same function. This, again, raises questions. Further, there seems to be contradiction between the estimates of the national expenditure and the department's strategic plan. For instance, the department in this Budget Vote seeks to develop a policy on maternity and paternity in the family and at work, yet the strategic plan is silent on this.
We are made to believe that the department's core function is monitoring and evaluation and, of course, this is important. However, it baffles me beyond measure that 59,4% of the budget allocated in this Vote will be towards compensation of employees, leaving only R1,17 million towards the programme itself.
It is absolutely disheartening to know that the department does not seem to have a direction or a properly comprehended mandate and, thus, it seems it will have little or no impact in the bigger scheme of things. It is not clear what prompted the Treasury's decision to move the department from the governance cluster to the social cluster. Does this mean that the department ought to focus only on social issues pertaining to women, children and people with disabilities?
The dismal failure to produce its first country report on the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is just another issue I struggle to understand and accept, ...
Hon member, your time has expired!
... just as they say they intend to implement the poverty strategy for persons with disabilities. My question is: How do you implement a programme that you never bothered to include in your strategic plan? [Interjections.]
Hon member! Hon member!
Could it be the strategic plan and many documents produced were just paper-pushing exercised to blind us ...
Hon member, your time has expired!
... towards thinking that something is being done. I wonder! [Interjections.]
Thank you, hon member. But in future, please, do take note of the Chair's orders.
Hon Chairperson, hon Minister, hon Members of Parliament, director-general and officials, ladies and gentlemen, I feel privileged to be standing here today as a member of a movement and political party that so gallantly fought for human dignity, the achievement of equality and advancement of human rights or freedoms as they are now entrenched in our nation's Constitution.
The Bill of Rights prohibits any form of discrimination against persons with disabilities and promotes the achievement of equality. Let credit be accorded to those who continue to fight and ensure that the rights of people with disabilities as entrenched in our Constitution are realised as part of the achievement of national objectives to create a united, democratic, nonracial, nonsexist and prosperous society.
I myself speak to you today as a woman who bears the scars of disability, having been wounded in the 1976 anti-apartheid struggle. Besides being a product of the 1976 riots, I'm also a mother of a severely disabled son. I am, therefore, glad and humbled to articulate the voice of people with disabilities in this Budget Vote today.
We are glad that this Ministry has been established and is being strengthened, as the ANC and other equality movements in our country have insistently advocated for many years. Indeed, progress has been made in advancing the constitutional rights of people with disabilities, but a lot still remains to be done.
In this regard we therefore welcome the programme objectives included in their Medium-Term Expenditure Framework, MTEF, plan that are aimed at addressing the plight of people with disabilities, such as policy planning for equalisation of opportunities for persons with disabilities; mainstreaming and capacity development for equalisation of opportunities for persons with disabilities; monitoring and evaluation and research for equalisation of opportunities for persons with disabilities.
In our consideration of this budget and these programmes, we need to assess them against the many challenges that still confront close to 2 million people who constitute the population of people with disabilities in our country. Although we have made progress in terms of the supportive legislative framework, persons with disabilities still face the following challenges.
With regard to poverty, persons with disabilities living in poverty are known to be the poorest within a community and the most vulnerable. As such, it is imperative that an adequate social security net is provided by the state to ensure the protection of persons with disabilities. Hence, social security and food security are some of the key issues that require attention in this regard.
With regard to negative attitude and stereotypes, persons with disabilities continued to be subjected to negative attitudes and barriers to meaningful participation. This can be attributed to a lack of disability awareness.
Furthermore, people with disabilities are faced with challenges related to access to assistive devices which is regarded as a health issue rather than the right of a person with a disability; the cost of maintaining assistive devices is underestimated; lack of appropriately trained skilled personnel to render support services for persons with disabilities; and inaccessible and available transport.
With regard to education, more emphasis needs to be placed on the rights of persons with disabilities to accessing and aquiring quality education. Even though significant strides have been made thus far in South Africa to enhance inclusive education, children and youth with intellectual and learning disabilities continue to be marginalised, as is evident in the dismal state of many schools for learners with special education needs, as well as special schools. There is inequity across the provinces with regard to the types of schools available to learners with disabilities.
In terms of the promotion of gender equality and empowerment of women, women with disabilities are also marginalised in many ways as was highlighted above. More emphasis needs to be placed on ensuring that these are afforded opportunities and that their rights are not infringed. To this end, monitoring of targets is important, but this requires disaggregated data which is credible, available and reliable.
On the 2% employment equity and target, the majority of government departments have not complied with the 2% employment target for persons with disabilities, bar people from Limpopo, which went beyond the 2%. That's the only province at present.
In our support for this Budget Vote, we note the mandate limitation that the department has because it does not implement services. Its mandate is limited to influencing, monitoring and evaluation. In that context, we believe that its programmes are appropriate to ensure mainstreaming of equalisation. Most importantly, its monitoring and evaluation information, as well as the research that it conducts, will assist changing attitudes and stereotypes towards people with disabilities. We want the department to strengthen its monitoring role and co-ordination of what all government departments are doing to advance the rights of people with disabilities.
In particular, the department's programmes must also pay attention to the country's ability to meet obligations in terms of the UN Rights of Persons with Disabilities and its Optional Protocol. It must mainstream disability issues within the Millennium Development Goals, as well as monitor progress in implementation. In recognition of the efforts by the department with these programmes, and measures to strengthen its organisational capacity, the ANC calls for the House to support this Budget Vote. I thank you.
Sihlalo, oNgqongqoshe, amaPhini oNgqongqoshe, amaLungu ePhalamende ahloniphekile, ikomidi kanye noMnyango oholwa nguKhabazela, izethameli zethu, izivakashi kanye nabangani, ngivumele Sihlalo nami ngibhodle emswaneni.
Sibuhlungu kakhulu ngokulahlekelwa iqhawekazi lomzabalazo wethu okokuqala lapho elwela inkululeko yesizwe nalapho elwela inkululeko yabesifazane. Ukudlula emhlabeni kukaMama Sisulu kusishiye sikhathazeke kakhulu. Siyazi sonke ukuthi umama uSisulu ubehlezi ehamba phambili kuzo zonke izinhlelo nemikhankaso yokulwela amalungelo abesifazane kanye nokuphakanyiswa kwesithunzi sabo.
Njengoba sigubha igalelo laleli qhawekazi lakithi, kumele sizibophezele ekuthini amalungelelo abesifazane okulingana makabe uhlelo lokuqala kuzo zonke izinhlaka zikahulumeni ngokunjalo namabhizinisi azimele nakulawo aphethwe nguhulumeni. Sicela ukuthi Inkosi ize imuphe umphumlela wafuthi. (Translation of isiZulu paragraphs follows.)
[Ms M D NXUMALO: Chairperson, Ministers, Deputy Ministers, hon Members of Parliament, the committee and the department led by Khabazela, our audience, visitors and friends, allow me also pay my last respects.
We are heartbroken to have lost our struggle heroine, as she fought for the freedom of the nation and also for the freedom of women. The passing away of Mrs Sisulu leaves us totally devastated. We all know that Mrs Sisulu was always at the forefront of all plans and campaigns to fight for women's rights and the promotion of their dignity.
As we celebrate the role of this heroine of our land, we must commit ourselves to ensuring that women's rights to equality should be the first priority in all spheres of government, as well as in the private sector and state-owned enterprises. We the Lord to give her eternal peace.]
Chairperson, our greatest scourge and blight in the country is that of violence against women and girls. The government of the ANC is very vocal in this regard and upfront and blatant about South Africa's high rates of sexual violence and abuse. Women must tell government where they would like to see this Ministry going with regard to addressing the issue of violence against women and girls.
The SA government has been part of the launch of the United Nation's Secretary-General's campaign on ending violence against women from its inception. In 2008, during the 52nd Session of the UN Commission the Status of Women in New York, the secretary-general utilised the International Women's Day commemoration to blow the whistle on violence against women and girls in a global way. He also announced the creation of a global database on violence against women. This database was launched in March 2009.
Together with the campaign to unite to end the violence against women, this database assists in raising awareness on a large scale and will definitely result in intergovernmental collaboration on a greater scale in preventing organised crime such as human trafficking, especially of women and girls. However, hon Chairperson, we need to bring this global effort closer to home, both to Africa and South Africa itself. While the continent shows high levels of violence against women and girls, especially in conflict- torn countries, South Africa in particular presents serious concerns in some types of violence against women and girls and children in general.
All these efforts towards addressing violence against women are critical for us in this country, both for the Ministry for Women, Children and People with Disabilities and for, other government entities, as well as civil society and nongovernmental organisations. This means that we need to elevate the campaigns into national ones and collaborate in a meaningful way to bring coherence to these efforts.
Chairperson, a more concerted effort is needed by us to raise awareness within the justice and legal systems. Let us not only look at prevention because this is only addressing the symptoms. Let us look at the root causes, which means we need to tackle the issues of patriarchy and sexism. We also need to address the issue of socialisation when we as women and children and girls allow these things to happen to us because of the way we have been socialised.
We need also to begin to address the issue of masculinity and what it means to be a man in the present society vis--vis cultural and traditional practices. The policies of the ANC are giving government an opportunity to review the fight against patriarchy and all other forms of oppression against women. As the co-author of The Community Manifesto, Friedrich Engels outlines it in his essay. I quote:
On the "Origin of the Family, Property and the State"; the history of patriarchy can be traced back to the emergence of an economically uneven society. Since the development of a class society, women have been exploited both as suppliers of labour themselves and as producers of more sources of labour through childbearing.
Various political and cultural practices in the apartheid regime were adopted to reinforce or justify the dominance of men over women. Until today, women are still fighting some of these cultural practices such as ukuthwala [forced marriage] and female genital mutilation. Chairperson, it is for that reason that we encourage the SA Law Commission to investigate the appropriate legal instrument to make ukuthwala an offence. Currently, we rely on the Sexual Offences Act which protects young girls under the age of 16 years from such a practice. We also have to find a legal instrument to protect adult women who may still be subjected to this harmful traditional practice against their will.
Despite current participation in the paid labour market, women continue to carry the burden of unpaid work, including domestic duties and child care. All of this labour from women remains unrecognised in our society because what is not measured cannot be valued economically. Therefore, the efforts of our government to achieve universal access to early childhood development programme does not only support child growth and enhance education outcomes. It also frees many women of the burden of unpaid work.
Chairperson, I want to conclude by saying the right to vote and to hold public office has largely been achieved in our country. Our struggle now is about equal representation of women in decision-making positions. On the political front, at the national and provincial level, we are a global best practice of women's participation in the struggle for social justice and in shaping the political landscape after the transition.
Now is the time for women to stand up and really be counted as they did in the local government elections last month. We must strive towards the 50/50 representation of women in key positions on this level; we are to make an impact as women, but, more importantly, on lives of other women, ordinary women place all their trust in us as women leaders. We must not let them down.
Chairperson, how this country moves forward over the next five years of local governance is very much dependent on how the women of this country choose to shape it, be it in elected local government positions, as women voters, women participants in local governance or as women influencing the mainstreaming of local processes to heed both their basic as well as strategic needs. As ANC, we support the Budget Vote. Thank you. [Applause.]
Chairperson, hon Minister, hon chairperson of the portfolio committee and members, do any of you really believe that after one year any progress has been made on the matter of structures and mandates for this new Ministry? Certainly not, because the current Ministry is underfunded, understaffed and, according to Treasury, this Ministry will only be fully equipped and operational over a period of three years. Minister, I appreciate that you have delivered a well-structured speech. However, how all of it will fit into this Budget Vote is a great challenge.
According to the strategic plan for 2011 to 2015, the Ministry acknowledged the fact that its department is not a service-delivery department. It will be dependent on all other departments to deliver on the international and national obligations for South Africa in terms of the three sectors. The immediate concern is whether this department will achieve this in the absence of the most critical factors, namely human and financial resources. I make bold to say: of course not. The strategic plan of the department further highlights that it can only achieve its vision by drawing from both the presidential and ministerial authority to facilitate its work, as it relates to all partners, both public and private. If this is so, does this department really have the authority to hold all relevant sectors accountable? I do not believe this as yet, because the ANC-led government is politically tampering too much with changing structures and mandates, not looking at the financial implications and the effect it has on service delivery.
The department also claims that mainstreaming and integration are its core strategies to deliver on its goals and priorities. We all know that unless this department has the authority to hold all stakeholders accountable, this claim in itself will remain lip service. The gains made in the legislative policy arena will remain empty shells and real impact at grassroots level unachievable. If the department acknowledges this in its strategic plan, why is it continuing with practices that are definitely not achieving the necessary results?
When looking at the three sectors within Budget Vote No 8: Women, Children and People with Disabilities respectively, the women's programme was increased by only R2,4 million more than in the 2010-11 financial year.
Daar was ook 'n skamele verhoging van gemiddeld R2,5 miljoen meer as in 2010-11 vir die programme van kinders en mense met gestremdhede afsonderlik. Wat nog meer kommerwekkend is, is die feit dat meer as 50% van die begrotings wat toegeken is, binne al drie sektore vir die vergoeding van personeel gebruik word. Dit is beslis 'n ongesonde finansile praktyk, veral in die regering.
Seker die grootste teleurstelling en onderneming is die feit dat hierdie begrotingspos deur die Nasionale Tesourie bepaal is en dat, soos die agb Minister die portefeuljekomitee ingelig het, die departement en die Minister geen aandeel hierin gehad het nie. Die verskoning was dat die Minister eers in November 2010 aangestel is. Dit is beslis onaanvaarbaar. Waar was die amptenare dan? Hulle het geskitter in hul afwesigheid om seker te maak dat aanbevelings na die Nasionale Tesourie deurgegee word om 'n behoorlike begroting daar te stel. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[There was also a modest increase of on average R2,5 million more than in the 2010-11 financial year for the programmes of children and people with disabilities respectively. What is even more worrying is the fact that more than 50% of the budgets that were allocated in all three sectors have been used for the remuneration of personnel. This is definitely an unhealthy financial practice, particularly in government.
The greatest disappointment and undertaking is probably the fact that this Budget Vote was determined by National Treasury and that, as the hon Minister informed the portfolio committee, the department and the Minister had no part in this. The excuse was that the Minister was appointed only in November 2010. That is definitely unacceptable. Where were the officials in that case? They were conspicuous by their absence in ensuring that recommendations were passed on to National Treasury in order to put in place a proper budget.]
Chairperson, this ANC-led government does not even have the issues that can be accounted for sorted out for all sectors of the Ministry. The strategic plan of the department is already at a disadvantage. One should just look at the identified risks for each of the programmes on pages 28 and 40, which state: insufficient budgetary allocations, lack of compliance and accountability and lack of skills and capacity. For instance, in the risk mitigation section, the department highlights that it will motivate for additional funding, accelerate the promulgation of legislation, implementation of the mainstreaming strategy and, finally, recruit appropriately skilled staff and so forth. How ridiculous is this, Chairperson? Budget Vote No 8: Women, Children and People with Disabilities for the 2011-12 financial year is an absolute disgrace and a slap in the faces of our women, children and people with disabilities. How on earth will the identified risks be mitigated, by such measures which are so unrealistic, in the broader context of the reality it faces?
During my speech in the 2010-11 financial year, I said the following:
The department's mandate in broad terms is to deal with human rights concerns, which often remain marginalised in the mainstream of government work. Mr Speaker, the many manifestations of the marginalisation of human rights and equality concerns, as perpetuated by government itself, are unacceptable and this must stop.
It is therefore time for the ANC-led government to get its act together, because with one Minister gone - now in an ambassadorial position, representing our country in Egypt - one wonders why she really left. Was it for that position, or was it because she knew this Ministry will still take a long period to fulfil its mandate, ensuring that the mainstreaming of the issues of women, children and people with disabilities indeed takes place, let alone holding and signing off on memoranda of understanding with 33 national departments, nine provinces, and 283 municipalities, ensuring their accountability on service delivery to these sectors? In conclusion, in the DA, and maybe the members must listen, especially the ANC, we always have our act together. [Interjections.] We know how to govern, and we surely know how to plan before we roll out any new structures, policies and strategies. Minister, I surely await the outcome of the report that was sent to the President. I cannot wait for that report, so that we can sit and really see whether we are going to get more money. I thank you. [Applause.]
Hon Chairperson, hon Minister Lulu Xingwana, chairperson of the portfolio committee, hon colleagues, members of society and members of the department, in accordance with the Freedom Charter, the National Democratic Revolution and documents of strategy and tactics, the ANC-led government's strategic objective is the creation of a united, nonracial, nonsexist and democratic society. In pursuit of this objective, the ANC-led government will continuously change its tactics to adapt to the ever- changing environment it operates in. This is for the purpose of bettering the lives of South African citizens, with greater focus on the vulnerable groups, which are women, children and people with disabilities.
To the people who have spoken here about "the mandate", like the hon Dudley, hon Robinson and hon Duncan, I don't know why you always talk about "the mandate" of this structure or that department. We know that Chapter 2 of the Constitution, which is the Bill of Rights, the cornerstone of our democracy, actually talks about how the values and culture of the people of South Africa should be respected. That is exactly what this department is trying to do - deepen and reinforce the democracy of this country.
Women are regarded as vulnerable and it is through departments such as this that the ANC-led government feels that what is in Chapter 2, the Bill of Rights, will be reinforced. The mandate that you continuously ask about is actually to bring respect to women; to see that women are no longer vulnerable. I don't know how long you will ask this question. Maybe you should go back and read your Constitution and that's when you will understand. You will also understand that this has come about because of the voices of women who have been saying: "We want a Ministry that will deal with the issues faced by women; a Ministry that will monitor and evaluate whether or not legislation that is put forward is being implemented in order to better the lives of the women of South Africa." [Interjections.]
Furthermore, there was an outcry from the women of South Africa, who said yes, there was legislation, but it was not being implemented. Government then committed to the establishment of a Department of monitoring and evaluation. That is why this government had to come up with this department.
On the other hand, it is a well-known fact that this ANC-led government signs treaties nationally, regionally and internationally. We know that there are organisations like the Sub-Saharan International Development Organisation, Sido, which represents a commitment to the empowerment and development of women in all spheres.
To further enhance its commitment to empowering and developing women, the ANC-led government established a Ministry focusing specifically on women, children and people with disabilities, with the sole and ultimate goal of ensuring that all the people of South Africa, irrespective of gender, will enjoy their fundamental freedom, dignity, and human rights, as stated in Chapter 2 of the Bill of Rights.
Hon Dudley raised the issue of the social cluster. Hon Robinson, we should not let our emotions cloud the facts. Instead of crying that we as women don't have a Ministry or department, we should acknowledge the fact that the Presidency and the ANC-led government committed to this by placing this department in the social cluster so that it can be an independent department which will receive its own budget. [Applause.] Maybe this explanation will help you understand that it just because the department has been placed under the social cluster, doesn't mean it will become a social welfare department. I am sure you all know that even here in Parliament we work in clusters. Don't make me as a woman start worrying that maybe women don't understand how government functions. Government functions in clusters. That is why we have clusters. It's actually an integration of national clusters and the clusters that we have in our portfolio committees.
Coming to what hon Duncan said - no, it was hon Robinson. You called this government a "superficial plaster"; a government that is failing its target and uses campaigns instead of programmes. Let me tell you something. We have just had elections, on 18 May. We all know this department is for monitoring and evaluation, and its strategy is to promote gender equality and equity, which will one day be achieved and maintained. You talk of a government that is failing its target. [Interjections.] You talk of a government that is failing the disabled with a target of 2%. You talk of campaigns and programmes, but what happened to your leader, Madam Zille, during campaign time? She is a woman, but a woman who has no passion for other women. She's a woman who wants to see ... [Interjections.] ... herself ascending the ladder of power, leaving other women behind. I can justify what I'm saying. We all saw that on the placards she had three women. It was the very madams you saw. But after the elections, after she had scored some votes and when she went to the Cabinet, she forgot those women. She only used those women to front on the posters to make us believe, as other women and parties, that she has the passion. [Applause.]
Comrade Duncan, I mean hon Duncan, ... [Laughter.] ... I know you are passionate about the development and empowerment of women. Please try to start with your madam number one. Make her see what the Constitution says. She should not be above the Constitution. She should actually join the ANC in the promotion and protection of gender equality. [Interjections.]
Order! Hon member, just a moment, please. Hon members, please maintain the order. We even have visitors. There really is no need for us to behave this way. Please continue.
Hon Waters, I listened to you. I listened to the members of your party very carefully, and I did not howl like you are doing. You are a man because, instead of assisting your Madam Zille to realise that gender equality and empowerment is not only for men, you are sitting here howling at me, asking me about my leader. [Interjections.]
I want to ask this question of the hon Robinson. While your leader is busy putting men in decision-making positions, do you think you will ever reach the 2% target of women with disabilities in decision-making positions, which is the target set by the ANC? No, I don't think so. It will be a fairytale in the DA.
I wonder why fingers are being pointed at this structure, which is only a month or so old, when there are structures like the Gender Commission and the Office on the Status of Women, as well as policies and legislation, which have all been there to try and empower and protect women. [Interjections.] Thank you. [Time expired.] [Applause.]
Before I call on the Minister, let me just say to our visitors that we are happy that you are here with us, but the Rules don't allow you to participate. I see that you are clapping your hands and that is very nice, I think, but the Rules don't allow you to participate. Nevertheless, you are welcome.
The MINISTER OF WOMEN, CHILDREN AND PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES: Chairperson, I want to thank the hon members who have made a valuable contribution to the debate.
I would like to begin by agreeing with hon Ramodibe. This is, indeed, a huge department with serious responsibilities, and it must be properly resourced. For members who are confused, the mandate of this department is to mainstream the rights of women, children and people with disabilities in all national departments, all three spheres of government and in society. We are also mandated to monitor and evaluate the work and the policies of government as they relate to women, children and people with disabilities. We are very clear about our mandate and authority, which comes from the President. So, I am not afraid, because not one Minister will not respond to or undermine this department. This department was mandated by the President, and we will report to the President if there are problems.
The fact is that we are here. We are working with all the Ministers in this country. Yesterday I was sitting with the Premier of the Free State. We have met with the Premiers of the North West and those of other provinces. It is very clear that they understand and respect our mandate. We even monitor the President himself. We have raised a number of issues and he understands that this is the work we have to do. We monitor, starting with the Presidency and the different departments.
I would like to address the hon Duncan on the issue of government. Yes, this department needs more resources. We do. I said so in the portfolio committee and in my speech this morning. We need more resources. We are engaging with the National Treasury. We will continue to do so and we hope that during their medium-term review they will review our budget so that we are able to do the work that we have been tasked with.
I also want to say that it is true that departments should not work in silos. This is why we have this department: to ensure that we monitor and co-ordinate the work of government. For instance, in Child Protection Week, we work with the Department of Social Development, the Department of Health, the SAPS and the Department of Basic Education. That helps us to ensure that we mainstream these issues in all these departments, so that each department is aware of and can complement what the other departments are doing.
I know there is confusion about the fact that we are in the social cluster. I think hon members have the responsibility to understand how government works. Every department, every Minister, belongs to a cluster. The Director- General of Finance and the director-general of this department belong to clusters, but that does not mean I then fall under the Minister of Social Development because we are in the social cluster. That is confusion. We also belong to the governance cluster and, again, that does not mean we are under the Minister for the Public Service and Administration or the Minister of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs. We are just trying to co-ordinate the work of government in that way.
Hon Robinson asks what we are doing about the Commission for Gender Equality, CGE. The reports of the CGE are here in Parliament. I have been a Member of Parliament for 10 years. I know your role very well, as well as my role as a Member of Parliament and executive member of this country. The Constitution of South Africa states very clearly that the executive accounts to Parliament. The executive reports to Parliament. My understanding is that Parliament is my boss, but now Parliament is saying I must be their boss. Parliament is saying I must tell them what to do with the CGE when they have the report on their table. [Applause.] I will do it. If hon members are failing to do their job, I will do their job for them.
I would like to advise political parties to train their members. I have been in this Parliament for 17 years. Every year, members of the ANC go for training. That helps us to understand the structures of government, how government operates, the three arms of the state and how they relate to one another. So, I would advise that political parties really train their members so that they can understand their role and responsibilities.
Hon Blaai really does not understand this department. I think it is pie in the sky for you, hon member. You are lost because you do not do your work. You do not go to the portfolio committee meetings. You do not do your work, so there is no way you can understand how this department works. If you were doing your work, you would understand what this department was all about. The same goes for hon Dudley. You have never been to a single committee meeting of this department, so you are just talking into the air, in confusion. I did not ask for this department. The women of this country wanted this department. [Applause.] It is not Lulu's department. It is the department of the women and the people with disabilities who wanted a Ministry that would fight for and protect their rights.
This department is not a delivery department. We are not here to take people to school, hon Blaai. We are not here to take women to school. We are not here to take women to the clinic. We are here to monitor and evaluate the Department of Health. Your great ideas belong with the Departments of Health and Education. If you attend your committee meetings, you will learn more and you will understand what this department stands for.
Lastly, I would like to say that I agree with most of the members. Yes, we need more resources in this department. Yes, we need to ensure that we work with other departments. However, I also want to say that we need expertise in this department. We cannot just sit and say we do not have people to do the work because there is no budget. Yes, 50% of our budget goes to salaries, but those people have the expertise and they are going to help us deliver on our mandate. Thank you very much. [Time expired.] [Applause.]
Debate concluded.