Speaker, I would like to inform the hon member that the Department of Social Development works closely with the Department of Health and other stakeholders to identify poor households and communities that experience food insecurity. Wards which are known poverty pockets or which are beset by social challenges, such as substance abuse and unemployment, are also targeted.
We also respond to media reports that bring to our attention the suffering of individuals in our communities. The eligibility criteria for the provision of social relief of distress are set out in the Social Assistance Act, Act 13 of 2004, and social relief is awarded to a person who is: awaiting payment of an approved grant; declared medically unfit for employment for a period of less than six months; not receiving maintenance from a person legally obliged to pay maintenance; in a family where the breadwinner has died within the last three months; affected by a disaster, or experiencing undue hardship or malnutrition. [Interjections.]
Order! Order!
The legislation also permits the department to provide social relief of distress to children already receiving social assistance, where those children are considered to be particularly vulnerable. I thank you. [Applause.]
Speaker, I would like to thank the Minister for her comprehensive response. My follow-up question is very simple. We have seen, consistently, when there are by-elections or elections, your department goes to a particular area where there is an election, and you start distributing food parcels. [Interjections.]
Now, my question is very simple: Is it the policy of the ANC or your policy, as a department, that poor people, poor Africans, must only eat once every five years when there is an election or when there is a by- election? [Interjections.]
UNGQONGQOSHE WEZOKUTHUTHUKISWA KOMPHAKATHI: Somlomo, ukunika abantu ukudla asikwenzi ngoba kunokhetho lukamasipala. Sinohlu olulandelwayo ukuhambela zonke izindawo, ngemuva kwalokho siba nohlelo esizolulandela. Kusiphatha kabuhlungu ukuthi abantu bethu bathathwe sengathi abanayo ingqondo, bacabanga ngezisu. Siyathanda ukuthi wonke umuntu angacabangi kanjalo ngoba noma ngabe amaphasela okudla akhona noma ngabe awekho, abantu bavotela umuntu abamthandayo. Ngiyabonga. (Translation of isiZulu paragraph follows.)
[The MINISTER OF SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT: Speaker, we do not distribute food parcels only when there are by-elections. We have a list that we use to visit all areas then follow our normal procedure. We are sad to hear that you think we undermine the intelligence of our own people and we can only buy their vote by feeding them. No one must think like that because the electorate always votes for a party of their choice regardless of the supply of food parcels. Thank you.]
Speaker, it is quite obvious that the criteria used by the hon Minister and her department have nothing to do with the Social Assistance Act. It is whether or not there is a by-election and what is in it for the ANC. It has absolutely nothing to do with the plight of the poor.
What the Minister has shown, once again, is that she is prepared to use and abuse state resources to benefit the ANC. When Luthuli House calls on the Minister, the Minister just asks how high she should jump. It is evident that the criteria stipulated in the Act means absolutely nothing to the Minister when the interest of the ANC is at stake. Can the Minister explain to this House why it is that her department only starts delivering food parcels and services where there is a by-election? Thank you very much. [Applause.]
UNGQONGQOSHE WEZOKUTHUTHUKISWA KOMPHAKATHI: Nangu lo plastiki engangikhuluma ngawo ngaphambilini osetshenziswa nguhulumeni we-DA ukufaka amaphasela okudla. Nangu ukhona ngiwuphethe. [Ihlombe.] (Translation of isiZulu paragraph follows.)
[The MINISTER OF SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT: Here is the plastic bag I mentioned earlier that the DA government uses to deliver food parcels. I have it in my hand. [Applause.]]
Speaker, on a point of order ...
Order, members! Order!
Speaker, on a point of order ...
Yes, what is the point of order?
Speaker, the Minister has waved the bag around before a few weeks ago in the House.
What is the point of order, sir?
The fact is the Minister confuses a bag with the emblem of the Western Cape government, with that of the DA. [Interjections.]
Hon member, that is not a point of order.
They are two separate entities. No, Speaker, it is that this side of the House - or that side of the House - that conflates the party and the state. We don't, and it is now time the ANC acted accordingly. [Interjections.]
Hon member, that is not a point of order. Continue, hon Minister.
UNGQONGQOSHE WEZOKUTHUTHUKISWA KOMPHAKATHI: Ngifuna ukuqala ngeNtshonalanga Kapa ukukhombisa ukuthi asiniki abantu amaphasela okudla ngoba kunokhetho lukamasipala. Sinike abantu amaphakethe okudla e-Paarl ngoMasingana kuya kuNcwaba, e-Worcester, e-George nnase-West Coast; ngoNhlolanja kuya kuNtulikazi sanikezela ngamaphasela okudla e-Cederberg, eGugulethu, e-Hout Bay, njll. (Translation of isiZulu paragraph follows.)
[The MINISTER OF SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT: I want to talk about the Western Cape first so that it is clear to everyone that we do not distribute food parcels only when there are by-elections. We distributed food parcels from January to August to Worcester, George and the West Coast. From February to July we distributed them to Cederberg, Gugulethu, Hout Bay, etc.]
In Gugulethu, there were no by-elections. [Interjections.] No! In Khayelitsha, there were no by-elections. In Athlone, there were no by- elections. In Oudtshoorn, there were no by-elections. [Interjections.]
Order! Order! Order!
La eNtshonalanga Kapa kuhlala kunezingozi ezinkulu ... [The Western Cape is an area that is frequented by natural disasters ...]
... and you find us there all the time.
Ngakho-ke ukuba besikhetha sinika abantu abangeseki uKhongolose noma sinika kuphela abantu abeseka uKhongolose ngabe asizi lana uma kunezikhukhula noma kunezingozi ezinkulu. [Ihlombe.] Indawo ekujwayele ukuthi ibe nezingozi ezinkulu yiNtshonalanga Kapa. [Ihlombe.] (Translation of isiZulu paragraph follows.)
[For that reason, if we were biased against those who do not support the ANC we would not even come here to provide assistance and relief after floods and other natural disasters. [Applause.] The Western Cape is an area that is prone to natural disasters. [Applause.]]
Speaker, even though it was not put using words I would use, the follow-up question by hon Kganare has covered me.
Do you want to respond, hon Minister?
Phela kubuye kufanele ukuthi sibonise ukuthi siyalwenza ucwaningo. [Sometimes we have to show everyone that we do conduct our research.]
The 2010 General Household Survey identified an estimated 21,9% of South African households that had inadequate or severely inadequate access to food.
Isifundazwe esihamba phambili yi-North West, lapho sino 33,3%. E-North West kade saqala uhlelo olubizwa ngokuthi i-Zero Hunger salwethula ngonyaka wezi- 2011. Ngiyabonga. [Ihlombe.] (Translation of isiZulu paragraph follows.)
[The most affected province is the North West with a percentage of 33,3. We started a programme called Zero Hunger in that province long ago, we introduced it in 2011. Thank you. [Applause.]]
Speaker, dit wil voorkom dat die agb Minister hierdie Parlement mislei. Dit kom ook voor dat die Minister haar posisie misbruik in hierdie Parlement. In Potchefstroom, soos wat ons nou vandag hier praat, word 3 500 pakkies uitgedeel omdat daar 'n verkiesing is. My vraag aan die agb Minister is dan: Is dit so dat u tans, soos wat ons nou hier vergader, kospakkies laat uitdeel in Potchefstroom, waar daar 'n verkiesing is? Waarom word kospakkies in Potchefstroom en elders net uitgedeel en word mense omgekoop om vir die ANC te stem? Waarom net kospakkies uitdeel waar daar tussenverkiesings is? [Applous.] (Translation of Afrikaans paragraph follows.)
[Mr J J MCGLUWA: Speaker, it would appear as if the hon Minister is misleading this Parliament. It would also appear as if this Minister is abusing her position in this Parliament. In Potchefstroom, as we speak today, 3 500 parcels are being distributed because there is an election. My question to the hon Minister is therefore: Is it true that, while we are meeting here, you are allowing the distribution of food parcels in Potchefstroom, where there is an election? Why are food parcels being distributed in Potchefstroom, and are people being bribed so as to vote only for the ANC? Why only distribute food parcels where there are by- elections? [Applause.]]
Order, hon members! Order! Yes, sir, what is your point of order?
Speaker, on a point of order: When the hon member was speaking in Afrikaans, he was firstly accusing the hon Minister of misleading the House. I suggest that is unparliamentary. Secondly, he was accusing the hon Minister of bribing people. I suggest that is also unparliamentary.
Order, hon members! Order!
Speaker, may I address you?
I didn't recognise you, sir. Please take your seat. [Interjections.] Yes, hon member? What point of order are you rising on? [Interjections.]
Speaker, I rise in respect of the point of order that the hon Deputy Minister raised. The hon member spoke Afrikaans - and I speak some Afrikaans. [Laughter.] The hon member did not say, categorically, that that is the position. He actually said "allegedly." [Interjections.]
Order, hon members! Order! Order! My Afrikaans being slightly better than all of yours ... [Laughter.] Please take your seat! Take your seat! I will study the Hansard, and I will come back with a response. [Applause.] Hon Minister, do you wish to respond to the hon member?
Somlomo, ngicabanga ukuthi ngiphendulile. Uma ngingaphinda ngikhulume ngizophinda khona ukuthi amaphasela okudla ... [Speaker, I think I responded. If I had to respond again I would say food parcels ...]
... we distribute them when there is a need. Secondly,
... angazi ukuthi kungani ningibangela umsindo ngokhetho lukamasipala ngoba nani niyabanika abantu amaphasela okudla. Nangu uplastiki wenu la. Uplastiki wenu lo. Ngakho-ke musani ukushaya sengathi anazi lutho ngamaphasela wokudla. Asingayenzi leyo nto. Okubuhlungu kakhulu ngale nto ukuthi nina nithi abantu bathengwa ngokudla. Ake nikuthathe ukudla nikuyise ezindaweni zabantu nibone ukuthi nizolithola yini ivoti. (Translation of isiZulu paragraph follows.)
[... I do not know why you are making such a noise about by-elections because you also do distribute food parcels. Here is your plastic bag. It is yours. Therefore, do not pretend that you do not know anything about the distribution of food parcels. Let us not do that. It is sad that you say we use food to buy the peoples' vote. You must distribute food parcels to communities and we shall see if that will ever win the vote for you.]
Progress with regard to intervention in Limpopo and Eastern Cape education departments
243. Ms N Gina (ANC) asked the Minister of Basic Education:
(1) What progress has been made with regard to the intervention in the (a) Limpopo and (b) Eastern Cape departments of education in terms of section 100 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996;
(2) on what date is it anticipated that the administration of the (a) Limpopo and (b) Eastern Cape departments of education will be returned to the respective provincial governments?