Hon Chairperson, hon Minister, hon Deputy Minister, hon members, the Social Development family, which is where I am from before I came to Parliament, and our guests, I would like to refer to what you just said, Deputy Minister, as it empowers me. I am a mother of a child with a learning disability. Therefore, I am on the right committee to assist these kids. [Applause.]
As a Member of Parliament of the ANC, I rise to support Budget Vote No 19. Together we are moving South Africa forward, ... [Applause.] ... as we declared in our 2014 election manifesto. Our strategic goal is to create a national democratic society in which everyone shall live in peace and harmony. Not only is such a society necessary to realise our objective of a better life for all, but it is also possible from a scientific basis.
My speech today is based on the scientific foundation of what Marx and Lenin said in 1818: that you cannot base politics on assumptions, but you must use science to determine where you are going. [Applause.] So, this is the story that I will tell. I am guided by the revolutionary and democratic programme of the Freedom Charter, which said: "There shall be houses, security and comfort." In terms of this objective of the Freedom Charter it says, "The aged, the orphans, the disabled and the sick shall be cared for by the state." So, there is nothing wrong with what the ANC is doing; we are implementing our mandate. [Applause.]
Furthermore, social assistance grants are one way in which government gives people access to social security, which is a right guaranteed in the Constitution of South Africa. Over the past 20 years of building a nonracial, nonsexist, democratic, prosperous and caring inclusive society, the Department of Social Development, like other departments, created under our democracy to drive the democratic mandate of the masses of our country, has done enormously well in fulfilling the obligations of uplifting the plight of the poor and the people of South Africa. [Applause.] These great achievements have been felt in every corner and in all spheres of government and our society. Indeed, the Department of Social Development, the SA Social Security Agency and the National Development Agency have a good story to tell to our people.
Why do I say so? The South African Constitution guarantees the rights of all citizens to have access to social assistance. In the last 20 years, the number of people receiving social grants increased from 3 million to 16 million, benefiting the elderly, children and veterans, as stated in the 2014 ANC election manifesto. I think my task is to educate others about what social service assistance is all about and not to talk about things that you do not know about. [Interjections.]
The South African government accepts that it has a responsibility to take care of people who cannot take care of themselves. When people are very young, sick, old or injured or cannot look after themselves, then government will provide social support where possible. This kind of support is called social assistance. South Africa has six types of grants.
To begin with, we have the child support grant, which was confirmed through research. It is not just a myth, as a study was conducted on the need for a child support grant. The study was conducted to promote human capital investment, improve gender outcomes and reduce inequalities with regard to kids. The child support grant has benefited 11 million beneficiaries, as compared to 30 000 previously. We also have the foster care grant and the old age grant.
One needs to emphasise Sassa. I want to say to our committee - I want to address the members of the DA and EFF - we said there are policies that are still under discussion and will be reviewed. I am a new member of this Parliament. Even though I have attended only two committee meetings, a guarantee was given in the committee that we would review the issue of social grants. The ANC listened when Sassa was taken to the Gauteng High Court on the issue of grants. As a result, the grants are going to be paid to all children, irrespective of their situation. This is what the High Court said, and Sassa is going to implement that.
In conclusion, the ANC wishes the department well in its plan and the implementation and translation of this mandate. Let us take South Africa forward, together with the Millennium Development Goals of 2015. Amandla! [Time expired.] [Applause.]