Hon Chair, hon Minister, hon Deputy Minister, members and officials from the department, in the past social welfare has been the joint responsibility of government and civil society, with government providing financial support to organisations through subsidisation. To date, our democratic government is still faced with the challenges of providing the best possible service to the poorest and most vulnerable sectors of society.
The Department of Social Development's main responsibility is the development of policies, legislation and systems to ensure the provision of social services to meet the socioeconomic needs of the poorest, the marginalised and the most vulnerable. This it has to do within the constraints of available resources, thus creating an enabling environment for sustainable development.
Limited resources, no set timeframes to implement strategies and a lack of partnership with civil society still hamper service delivery to a vast majority of beneficiaries, leaving some people to live in conditions of poverty and social exclusion, with our children suffering the most.
The Department of Social Development spends about 93% of its budget on South Africans, such as the disabled, the elderly and children in need. In the current financial year this will amount to more than R70 billion, to be spent on approximately 25% of the population. However, there will always be South Africans and also foreigners coming into our country, who will need state support to survive. Like all human beings who believe in humanity towards others, the DA supports this concept.
Voorsitter, stygende brandstof- en voedselpryse plaas dan ook 'n geweldige las op 'n groot persentasie van reeds versukkelde Suid-Afrikaners. Die impak van stygende pryse op hul begrotings is oorweldigend en die verligting van armoede is geensins in sig nie. Die oorlog teen armoede duur dus voort. Daar moet aanhoudend samewerking met alle rolspelers beplan en voorsorg getref word om volhoubare verligting te bewerkstellig. 'n Groot persentasie van ons bevolking is reeds deur MIV/Vigs geraak en genoegsame voeding is van kardinale belang om herstel te verseker en armoede te help verlig. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraph follows.)
[Chairperson, rising fuel and food prices are putting a severe burden on a large percentage of South Africans who are already living in poverty. The impact of rising prices on their budgets is overwhelming and poverty alleviation is nowhere in sight. Therefore, the war against poverty continues. Co-operation with all role-players should take place constantly and precautions should be taken to bring about sustainable alleviation. A large percentage of our population has already been affected by HIV/Aids and sufficient nutrition is of cardinal importance to ensure recovery and to aid poverty alleviation.]
The disabled in our country continue to be severely marginalised. Not only do state doctors decide who can obtain a grant, but these applicants have to be reassessed every six months. Many of these applicants, especially those in the rural areas, still have to wait in long queues and in some cases need to return the next day to complete the necessary documentation.
Epilepsy sufferers are hardly recognised for any form of disability and it is simply impossible for an ordinary GP to ascertain their disability. Rural applicants are even harder hit by this process.
The Care Dependency Grant can only be accessed by disabled children under the age of eighteen years when the combined income of the parents does not exceed R48 000 per annum.
According to the Children's Act, a child is a child up to eighteen years of age, yet a large percentage of disabled children, even after an appeal, still cannot gain access to this state grant because the combined income of their parents exceeds R48 000 per annum.
Disabled children under eighteen - and may I state that some suffer from severe disabilities with very special day-to-day needs - should not be discriminated against because their parents' combined income exceeds the guidelines set, but should be regarded as high-care individuals in need of government's care and support. Section 28(1)(c) of our Constitution confirms this argument by stating that:
(1) Every child has the right -
(c) to basic nutrition, shelter, basic health care services and social services ...
View also section 28(2) of our Constitution.
Though contributions such as annuities, pensions, UIF and medical funds paid can be deducted, hospitalization and medicine, etc, bought over the counter cannot be deducted. I have often witnessed the needs of these children exceed the combined income by far. I therefore urge our hon Minister to please look at the revision of the means test for the Care Dependency Grant, seeing that the needs of these children exceed the combined income platform most of the time.
In my begrotingstoespraak van 2005, en selfs verlede jaar, het ek van geslagsgelykheid in Suid-Afrika melding gemaak. Ek het ook genoem dat mans en vrouens dieselfde behandel moet word, omdat daar geensins 'n verskil in beide geslagte se behoeftes is nie.
Vandag is ek uiters dankbaar dat die regstelling uiteindelik in wetgewing opgeneem gaan word en dat mans vanaf 63-jarige ouderdom spoedig vir ouderdomspensioen sal kan aansoek doen, en ook 62-jarige mans en 60-jarige mans sal onderskeidelik vanaf 2009 en 2010 kan aansoek doen. Hierdie moedige stap word veral in die plattelandse gebiede met groot dank verwelkom en die impak op reeds erg versukkelde mans in hierdie gebiede gaan groot verligting bring. Baie dankie aan ons agb Minister wat stellig 'n leidende rol gespeel het. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[In my budget speech of 2005, and even last year, I made mention of gender equality in South Africa. I also stated that men and women should be treated equally, as there is absolutely no difference in the needs of both sexes.
Today, I am extremely thankful that this adjustment will eventually be included in legislation and that men will soon be able to apply for the old age pension from the age of 63, and 62-year-old and 60-year-old men will be able to apply as from 2009 and 2010 respectively. This courageous step is warmly welcomed in the rural areas in particular and the impact on those men in these areas, who are already living in abject poverty, will bring much-needed relief. Thank you very much to our hon Minister who certainly had played a leading role.]
Regarding the old age pension, many married women cannot gain access to it owing to the fact that their husbands receive a state pension totalling just R40 or R50 more than the required R43 704 per annum. In some instances some married women receive R100 per month, as the husband's pension exceeds the threshold set.
I believe that much more is spent on administration costs, and I simply cannot see this as a justifiable situation.
Vrouens, deur die jare heen, trek steeds aan die kortste ent en in baie gevalle het hulle geen inkomste nie. Hulle is dus geheel en al afhanklik van hul mans se inkomste. Is dit nie nou die tyd om vroue waarlik te bemagtig deur toelating tot hul ouderdomspensioen, afgesien van hul mans se inkomste, in geheel te hersien nie, al word dit oor 'n paar jaar gedoen? Mans het steeds die hef in die hand en word gesien as die sterker en dominante persoon in die huwelik of familie.
Monitering en implementering van wetgewing, en ek verwys graag na die Kinderwet wat verlede jaar voltooi is, verg steeds baie aandag en die tekort aan maatskaplike werkers bly 'n groot uitdaging vir die departement. Alhoewel R105 miljoen aan beurse vir voornemende studente beskikbaar gestel is, sal die oplossing steeds nie onmiddellik teweeggebring word nie. [Tyd verstreke.] (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[Through the ages, women still get the short end of the stick and in many instances they have no income at all. They are thus completely dependent on the income of their husbands. Has the time not come for women to become truly empowered by reviewing their access to old age pensions in its entirety, regardless of their husbands' income, even if it takes a number of years? Men still have the upper hand and are seen as the stronger and dominant party in the marriage or family.
Monitoring and implementation of legislation, and here I am referring to the Children's Act that was finalised last year, still needs much attention. The shortage of social workers still remains a great challenge for the department. Although R105 million has been made available for bursaries to prospective students, the solution will not be immediately forthcoming. [Time expired.]]