Chairperson, Deputy Minister of Social Development Ms Bongi Maria Ntuli, MECs from almost all the provinces, Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Social Development, Ministers, hon members , distinguished guests, and ladies and gentlemen, I am greatly honoured to lead in this year's Budget debate on Vote No 19: Social Development.
The matters about which this Budget is concerned are essentially those of human rights. These are matters that have always occupied the centre stage of the struggle for national liberation. This Budget is being debated against the backdrop of the centenary celebration of our country's ruling party, the continent's oldest modern liberation movement, the African National Congress.
In pursuit of its historic mission, in 1943, the ANC adopted a Bill of Rights, also known as the African Claims document, which drew upon the Atlantic Charter of August 1941, and was deeply inspired by some of the key ideals that "there was to be advancement of social welfare and that the participants would work for a world free of want and fear". One hundred years later, the ANC continues to be an unparalleled champion for the fulfilment of these ideals in our motherland.
Last year, the department received a Budget of R105 billion, R97 billion of which was for social assistance. With last year's Budget, in addition to providing social grants, we implemented measures to address the plight of children in poor households, senior citizens, people living with HIV/Aids, people with disabilities, the youth in dire need and other vulnerable groups.
In this delivery, I will focus on our plans for children, senior citizens, social workers, policy initiatives, institutional reforms and the achievements of the South African Social Security Agency, Sassa. The Deputy Minister will speak about issues affecting the youth and the work of the National Development Agency, NDA. In this context, she will elaborate on our interaction with civil society organisations working at a community level. Our government remains committed to the full realisation of the rights and wellbeing of our children. Over the last few weeks, there has been extensive media coverage regarding alleged incidents of rape of two siblings by a teacher, as well as the rape of a 17-year-old girl with a mental disability. These incidents have undoubtedly troubled many South Africans. They have highlighted the depth of the challenges that we still face as we construct a new society that seeks to safeguard the safety and wellbeing of all. This is a task that we are putting at the heart of our programme of action. Consequently, this task will constitute the central feature of the operational collaboration among all institutions of state and civil society. We call upon our social workers, health workers and law enforcement officers to provide the victims with the support they may require.
Of the department's total Budget allocation, an amount of R70 million will go towards strengthening the Victim Empowerment Programme. In our design of this programme, we intend to put more emphasis on preventative measures, which will include creating awareness among families and communities. As the recent incidents have shown, people with disabilities remain vulnerable in various ways. Our policy on disability is now aligned with the provisions of the United Nations Convention on Disability. This will enable us to ensure that the rights of people with disabilities are fully protected and promoted. Allow me to acknowledge with gratitude the donation of 10 specially modified motor vehicles by the Japanese International Co- operation Agency towards government's work on disability and home-based care.
Sithi ningadinwa nangomso! [We say, keep up the good work!] [Applause.]
Chairperson, the social ills of abuse against women and children reaffirm the need for us to build strong families to enable them to protect the most vulnerable members of our society. Cabinet last year approved the department's Green Paper on Families, which aims to shift the focus of government services from purely targeting individuals, but rather responding to their needs as family members. The department has concluded consultation within government and will launch the Green Paper for public engagement on 15 May this year on the occasion of the International Day of Families.
Chairperson, a qualitative Early Childhood Development, ECD, policy and implementation strategy will, undoubtedly, be government's most important policy intervention over the next 20 years in relation to the enhancement of the overall wellbeing and development of South Africa's children. Empirical evidence attests to the fact that the first 1 000 days in a child's life offer a unique opportunity for the optimal physical and cognitive development, and the overall health of a South African child.
In March this year, the Department of Social Development hosted a successful ECD conference attended by various role players from all spheres of government, ECD practitioners, experts, academics and development partners. The conference concluded on key issues, including the need to review and harmonise existing policies to ensure universal access to ECD services, the development of a multisectoral and partnership-based approach for the effectiveness of ECD services, and the development of a policy framework to guide the resourcing of ECD services and infrastructure. These outcomes will form the basis for the programme of action to be concluded by June 2012, with set targets.
Over the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework period, MTEF, government has allocated R1,2 billion covering ECD and child and youth care services in accordance with the Isibindi model. The department will spend R40 million to conduct an audit of all ECD facilities in the country over the next two years. Last year, Minmec resolved that, with effect from this financial year, we will pay a subsidy of R15 per child per day with a view to achieving parity in the financing of ECD services. In order to maximise the full benefits of ECD, all provinces will aim to achieve full participation by children in the ECD programme for 264 days over the MTEF, in accordance with the norms and standards.
As we continue our focus on children, we will this year consolidate services to orphaned and vulnerable children, especially those living in child-headed households, thus enabling them to access vital services and support. We will be recruiting and orientating the first contingent of child and youth care workers, as part of the 10 000 target to be trained over the MTEF. The Isibindi model strives to keep orphaned and vulnerable siblings together and targets communities with high prevalence rates of HIV/Aids. It uses the services of trained youth as caregivers to provide direct care to children in their homes and communities through youth empowerment, child protection and safe park programmes. Chairperson, may I take this opportunity to acknowledge our special guests in the public gallery, the children from child-headed households whose development depends on the goodwill and collective effort by all of us. [Applause.]
Chairperson, extreme poverty is still experienced by large numbers of people in South Africa, manifesting itself in the form of severe hunger and malnutrition. This is particularly prevalent in areas such as Umkhanyakude in KwaZulu-Natal, Ngaka Modiri Molema in the North West, OR Tambo in the Eastern Cape, Waterberg in Limpopo, and Motheo in the Free State, to name but a few. This year, we will roll out the Food for All Campaign, starting in Umkhanyakude in Northern KwaZulu-Natal. Our Food for All Campaign, which we launched last December, serves as a build-up to our implementation towards the attainment of a South Africa without extreme poverty, based on the Brazilian Zero Hunger Model.
South Africa's Social Assistance Programme, with an allocation of R105 billion in the 2012-13 financial year, projected to grow up to R122 billion in the 2014-15 financial year, remains our government's biggest poverty alleviation intervention. The programme provides social grants to 15,8 million beneficiaries, in order to reduce their levels of deprivation and enable them to participate in the economy. For instance, Bongisiwe Ngubane, a young woman who was forced to drop out of school in Grade 5, who sits in the gallery today, heads the orphaned Ngubane family in Umsinga, KwaZulu-Natal. She receives a foster care grant for her siblings and saves R600 of the R2 310 she receives for them. In her own words ...
... "Ngifuna babe noma yini uma baqeda isikole." [Ihlombe.] [..."I want them to be anything they want to be when they finish school." [Applause.]]
The child support grant, CSG, reaches 10,6 million children up to the age of 18. This month, we intend to launch a recently completed study examining both the quantitative and qualitative impact of the CSG. Under current legislation, the CSG is linked to conditions of regular school and clinic attendance, but these provisions are not always complied with. We will look at how we van more forcefully apply the conditions, starting with an extensive communication campaign to create awareness about the importance of these conditions and compliance therewith.
Furthermore, we have signed a protocol with the Department of Basic Education to confirm school enrolment and attendance of children in receipt of CSG and the foster care grant.
Chairperson, Sassa has repositioned itself to address its challenges of a lack of standardisation, incomplete information on beneficiary details, and the risks of potential fraud associated therewith. From 1 June 2012 until 31 December this year, Sassa will re-register all its beneficiaries through a biometric enrolment system to ensure life verification and identity authentication of beneficiaries.
Sassa has also introduced a new payment system which will save government an amount of R800 million per annum, accumulatively R4 billion over five years. We also aim to upgrade an additional 400 pay points and 300 local offices over the MTEF. The social grant system is prone to leakages and fraudulent activities. To mitigate this, government has allocated over the MTEF an amount of R30 million for setting up an inspectorate institution with a mandate to monitor the integrity of the grant administration system, to ensure its credibility. The inspectorate should be fully functional by 2015.
Chairperson, last year we hosted a successful Biennial Anti-Substance Abuse Summit. Research papers presented at the summit show that drug and alcohol abuse are linked to ill health and social disorders the world over. They also indicate that alcohol intoxication is associated with morbidities arising from injuries, with increased risky sexual behaviour, and that approximately 65% of murders in South Africa are associated with social behaviour largely fuelled by alcohol abuse.
Pursuant to the outcomes of the summit, the Interministerial Committee on Anti-Substance Abuse will this year consolidate its legislative review initiatives focusing on banning alcohol advertising, raising the age limit for alcohol consumption from 18 to 21 years, closing down all illegal shebeens and those located near schools and places of worship. [Applause.]
The interministerial committee will heighten its public awareness efforts, working with Love Life, Soul City and other social partners, highlighting the social costs associated with the harmful use of alcohol. We welcome the initiative taken by Sifunda Languza from Sterkspruit in the Eastern Cape and Bongani Khathi of Imbali Unit 13 in KwaZulu-Natal, to convert shebeens into community centres, thus making a positive contribution. [Applause.] The Department of Social Development, as part of this effort, will intensify the fight against substance abuse by strengthening the Ke Moja campaign to target all vulnerable groups.
As you may be aware, social work is a scarce skill in this country and that puts a strain on our ability to deliver much needed services. In this financial year, we have been allocated R256 million for the Social Work Scholarship Programme. Since 2007, we have trained more than 5 000 social workers through this programme. We are fully aware that for the first time, there is a significant challenge in absorbing newly qualified social workers into the employ of government. This is a matter that we are addressing with our provincial counterparts to ensure that newly qualified social workers are deployed in all areas of need.
In addition, we have also started engaging veteran social workers to assist with mentoring the newly qualified social workers, in order to ensure dignified service delivery. Shortly, we will launch the Veteran Social Workers Forum as the platform for their re-engagement in active provision of social work services. These veterans are already adding tremendous value in provinces such as the Eastern Cape. May I take this opportunity to acknowledge the presence in the public gallery of the Interim Chairperson of the Veteran Social Workers Forum, Ms Ria Pheega. I also acknowledge the presence of a veteran social worker, a former Member of Parliament and a veteran of our struggle, Comrade Mary Turok. [Applause.]
On the occasion of the celebration of the United Nations International Year of Older Persons, in 1999, Former President Nelson Mandela had this to say: "A society that does not value its older people denies its roots and endangers its future." It is for this reason that we endeavour to promote and protect the rights of older persons. Last October, we supported a successful Older Persons' Forum conference which resolved to amend its constitution and set up local and provincial older persons' fora, in order to encourage the active participation of older persons in matters that affect them.
This year, we will again support a follow-up conference, which will adopt a new constitution and also deliberate on the preparations for the Senior Citizens Parliament also to be held later this year in celebration of our centenarians.
Chairperson, last year Minmec approved a policy on the financing of nonprofit organisations, NPOs. This new policy will be implemented on an incremental basis starting this financial year, the purpose of which is to ensure that NPOs deliver on both statutory welfare services and developmental priorities of government. It seeks to make it clear that we fund services to be rendered rather than finance the upkeep of NPOs. In order to improve communication between government and civil society on matters of mutual concern, the department will host a civil society summit in August this year.
Chairperson, as I conclude, I would like to remind this House that social development is the heartbeat of our government and that we strive to live up to this important responsibility. I therefore urge all of us to work together to make today better than yesterday and tomorrow the best day ever. I take this opportunity to thank my colleague, Deputy Minister Ma Ntuli, the director-general, chief executive officers, special advisors and the entire staff of the social development family. Together we can do more. I urge the House to support Budget Vote No 19: Social Development. Thank you very much. [Applause.]
Thank you, hon Minister. I know that it is a little disturbing to keep interjecting, but we are trying to have you wind up so that you can conclude smoothly. I know, at least, that it is quite disturbing. We do not want to jump at you and say that your time has expired. We think it is worse than just that. Just also a word of advice to our guests: I know that we like to applaud good things, but this time the rule says that you can let the hon members here applaud on your behalf. You should just watch and listen. It if is good, they will applaud, and they are doing it on your behalf. You'll just watch. You can see that I am also not applauding, so it is not a bad thing just to watch and not applaud. Let the hon members do it for you.
Chairperson, hon the Minister of Social Development, hon the Deputy Minister of Social Development, hon Ministers and Deputy Ministers present here today, hon members, members of executive councils of provinces whose portfolios are social development, all stakeholders, ladies and gentlemen, this is our fourth debate in the Fourth Parliament on social development. I think it is quite significant, since the Minister made some significant pronouncements here today. It is also the centenary celebration year of the ANC, the oldest liberation movement on the African continent.
Say something new! [Interjections.]
The portfolio committee discussed the budget presentations of the Department of Social Development and its entities and, as the hon Minister has already stated earlier, the aim of the Department of Social Development is to ensure the provision of comprehensive, integrated, sustainable and quality social development services, such as protection against vulnerability.
Furthermore, the budget of the department is directed at addressing poverty, unemployment, inequality and related social ills that are currently challenging our country. As the Minister also mentioned, the department aims to achieve these noble and challenging goals through the five programmes.
The Department of Social Development and its entities get their legislative mandate from several pieces of legislation, as well as the ancient White Paper for Social Welfare that dates back to 1997, and of course the Population Policy of 1998. Like many departments, they also have constitutional obligations. Linked to that is the mission statement of the department. It reads -
... to ensure the provision of comprehensive social protection services against vulnerability and poverty, within the constitutional and legislative framework and to create an enabling environment for sustainable development. The department further aims to deliver integrated, sustainable and qualitative services in partnership with all those committed to building a caring society today.
I take it that the stakeholders sitting in the gallery are those parties.
The American poet Maya Angelou, wrote a poem called Human Family. In the first verses, she writes:
I note the obvious differences in the human family. Some of us are serious, some thrive on comedy.
The variety of our skin tones can confuse, bemuse, delight, brown and pink and beige and purple, tan and blue and white.
The last verse reads as follows:
I note the obvious differences between each sort and type, but we are more alike, my friends, than we are unalike.
When we as political parties discuss the budget of Social Development, we are alike in the fact that we want to see the vulnerable provided for, and the aims of the department becoming a living testament to service delivery.
We become unalike when we discuss the how. I want to state here today that the Portfolio Committee on Social Development has achieved cohesion in its ranks, despite our diverse political backgrounds.
Coming to the Budget Vote, the department has seven branches or units that need to implement the work allocated to them. We have examined the Budget Vote in its entirety, from the department itself and through to its entities. A budget of R112 billion is quite substantial and a huge responsibility rests on the shoulders of the accounting officer and the responsibility managers to execute their duties diligently and ensure that money allocated is spent in the interest of those who are supposed to benefit, namely the poor and vulnerable.
Coming back to the five programmes, we note that the department's budget has increased, thus responding to the priorities mentioned in the state of the nation address. We have noted the increase in the programmes, especially the R90,3 million for this current financial year, to pay social assistance grants to additional categories of refugees with official refugee status.
This is good news, since we asked the Minister and the chief executive officer of the SA Social Security Agency, Sassa, to look into the matter after I had a meeting with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and also took the matter to the committee. Thank you to the Minister and the CEO of Sassa for responding.
Currently, the only non-South Africans who qualify for social assistance are permanent residents and documented refugees. It should be noted that the citizenship criteria is applicable only to the adults and caregivers of children. [Interjections.] In line with the Convention on the Rights of the Child - to which our country is a signatory - the citizenship of children for whom grants are paid is not considered. This means that any child for whom a grant is paid can benefit, and they can thus benefit from the child support grant, CSG, as long as their caregiver is a South African citizen, a permanent resident or a documented refugee, and meets the legislated criteria.
A number of initiatives are currently being considered by the Department of Social Development to broaden the social assistance safety net. I would like to mention one of them. Since April 2012, refugees are able to access all social grants. Prior to the 1 April, refugees only qualified for foster child, care dependency and disability grants. From 1 April 2012, refugees can also qualify for old age and child support grants.
The R6,7 million for the support of the roll-out of child and youth care services through the Isibindi model - which the Minister referred to - is good news for us, but I wish it could've been more, since the plight of child-headed households in our country is urgent and we need to take care of our children who are in need of care.
Our visit to the Eastern Cape Isibindi Project in Mthatha was heartening, since we could see children empowered to take care of themselves, especially their brothers and sisters, and still save some of the money for their education and their future.
R5,7 million was put aside for salary adjustments in the department, R30 million for Sassa - since we knew that Sassa had a huge vacancy rate - R8,6 million to build capacity in the oversight function of the department to oversee the public entities, etc, which is good news for us, and R8,4 million to strengthen the Victim Empowerment Programme.
The Victim Empowerment Programme must be operational in every province and I would like to address the members of the executive council on this matter. The spate of violence against women and children, and the alarming increase of reported rapes of boys, is also a grave concern. We need to make sure that victims are treated and cared for, their rights are not violated and the perpetrators brought to book.
The fact that some of these alleged rapists are getting bail and that their movements not restricted by our courts, is both alarming and something that the Minister must please take up with the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development. Communities must keep their children safe and report these crimes to the police.
The Minister's policy position on substance abuse is widely welcomed. As South Africans, I am sure we welcome the intensive focus the department will have on anti-substance abuse campaigns. The policy reforms with regard to government's approach to alcohol and illicit drugs are obviously also welcomed.
We have to make sure that drug and alcohol abuse is eradicated from our society because they give birth to social ills that destroy families and young lives. The glaring absence of institutions that treat drug and alcohol addiction as well as provide outreach programmes should be given urgent attention.
Let me caution the Minister and the MECs here today. When Treasury one day allocates money for the building of these centres, [Interjections.] let it not be part of the equitable share of provinces, but let it be ring-fenced, so that it does not get lost in the race and scramble for provincial priorities.
Minister, we have been waiting for months now on the Central Drug Authority, CDA, for the laboratory results of the drug, Kuber.
Laastens, 15,8 miljoen Suid-Afrikaners ontvang maandeliks maatskaplike toelae. Die Suid-Afrikaanse maatskaplike bystand of welsynstelsel speel 'n kritiese rol in die bestryding van armoede en die bevordering van maatskaplike ontwikkeling. Di bevindinge bewys dat ons welsynstelsel armoede suksesvol inkort. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraph follows.)
[Lastly, 15, 8 million South Africans receive social welfare grants on a monthly basis. The South African welfare support or welfare system fulfills a critical role in the combat of poverty and the improvement of social development. These findings demonstrate that our welfare system successfully diminishes poverty.]
I have raised this on several occasions and I refer to research in the National Assembly.
Studies bewys dat die impak van maatskaplike toelae op Suid-Afrikaanse huishoudingsekuriteit bied. Armoede en die verwante gevolge daarvan verminder stelselmatig die geleenthede van kinders en jeugdiges vir opvoeding, wat die voortslepende siklus van behoeftigheid aanvuur.
Hierdie siklus kortwiek die huishouding se vermo om vaardighede te ontwikkel en dus die armoede kringloop van armoede te verbreek. Maatskaplike toelaes weer die negatiewe gevolge af deur die voorsiening van hulpmiddels aan huishoudings om welvaart te bevorder. In huishoudings waar kinders maatskaplike toelaes ontvang, is die kinders meer geneig om skool by te woon.
Die positiewe gevolg van maatskaplike toelaes op opvoedkunde is groter vir dogters as vir seuns. Die gevolg is dus dat geslagsongelykheid aangespreek kan word.
'n Verdere studie het bevind dat maatskaplike toelaes die honger probleem van hongerte doeltreffend aanspreek, asook ander basiese behoeftes. Alle maatskaplike toelaes word primr op voedsel as 'n huishoudelike uitgawe gespandeer.
Huishoudelike uitgawes van gesinne wat maatskaplike toelaes ontvang word primr aan kos, brandstof, huisvesting en huishoudelike toebehore bestee. Die verhoogde spandering op kos word diensooreenkomstig vereenselwig met verbeterde voedingsresultate. 'n Indiepte studie het bewys dat huishoudings wat maatskaplike toelaes kry verhoogde arbeidsmarkdeelname geniet en indiensneming groter getalle toon, teenoor huishoudings sonder maatskaplike toelaes. Werkers in huishoudings met maatskaplike toelaes het ook vinniger loonverhogings verkry. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[Studies have shown the impact which social grants have on the security of South African households. Poverty and the resulting consequences gradually reduce the opportunities of children and young people to be educated, which in turn foments the ongoing cycle of poverty.
This cycle curtails the ability of the household to develop skills and thus to break out of the cycle of poverty. Social grants avert the negative results by means of the provision of resources to households in order to increase prosperity. In households in which children receive social grants the children are more inclined to attend school.
The positive effect of social grants on education is greater for girls than for boys. Consequently the result allows for the inequality regarding gender to be addressed.
A further study found that social grants effectively address the problem relating to hunger, as well as other basic needs. All social grants are primarily spent on food as a domestic expense.
Domestic expenses of families who receive social grants are primarily spent on food, fuel, accommodation and household appliances. The increase in expenditure on food is likewise associated with improved results in nutrition.
An in-depth study showed that households which receive social grants enjoy a greater share of the labour market and an increase in the numbers of employment in comparison with households which do not receive social grants. Employees in households who received social grants also received wage increases sooner.]
There are certain reasons why we should continue to expand social grants and basic services, and they are: social security supports the achievement of the universal rights of everyone to social security; the social grants, which have proved to be effective in dealing with poverty and inequality; and social security, which would be a catalyst in our efforts towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals, MDGs.
I am glad that the department would build on the successes of the social grant system by addressing the effect in the second pillar of social security, namely social insurance. The department has been working in the interministerial committee exploring a range of social security reform options that will focus, among others, on gradually universalising the old age pension; introducing a mandatory pension fund that will define the benefit upfront; establishing a government-sponsored National Social Security Fund; and also providing for disability and survival benefits.
In the final analysis, we urged the department to move with more speed to consolidate the Social Security Policy Development and build on the successes of South African Social Security Agency, Sassa, and move expeditiously to consolidate the service delivery of platforms of all social security institutions. The growth in numbers reflects the commitment of this administration to the actual realisation of a socioeconomic rights, as enshrined in the Constitution.
The ANC-led national government, since 1994, was responsible for this Constitution. The DA was not born yet, so we will always defend one of our biggest gains in this democracy, our glorious Constitution. [Interjections.] Furthermore, we will monitor the institutional improvement plans of Sassa closely, to see whether it complies with the glossy plans they submitted to Parliament.
We have to commend Sassa for the institutional capacity they have developed over the years to provide grants and support services to over 15 million beneficiaries. This is a feat and a fact that cannot be ignored even by their critics. There is no doubt in my mind that South Africans are part of the human family Maya Angelou speaks about. We are more alike than unalike. We want the best for the people we represent. In the end we want the same thing.
Chairperson, I want to thank the Gwangwa Gxalaba family for inviting us to their homecoming feast during our visit to the Eastern Cape. It was quite a grant and uplifting experience for us. I would also like to thank the department and its entities for their submissions and I would like to thank the Minister for her leadership ...
Hon member, your time has expired.
... and the fact that her and the Deputy Minister as well as the staff of the portfolio committee attend our portfolio meetings most of the time. Thank you very much.
Chairperson, on a point of order: Can we request that you intervene? The opposition is engaging in running commentary, which they know is against the rules. If they would listen, I think they would understand the issues even better. [Interjections.] They are not even being charged a fee for it.
Thank you, hon member.
Chairperson, I would just like to say: Don't throw stones when you live in a glass house. [Interjections.] And I've got 12 minutes, by the way.
Chairperson, on Friday we celebrated 18 years of democracy. While it is important to honour our past, it is equally important that we look forward and own our future by ensuring that we provide the best possible services to vulnerable children.
Apartheid certainly left many scars in our society and any government would have been hard pressed to heal them. However, we have exacerbated our social problems through the decade of denialism with regards to HIV/Aids where hundreds of thousands of children lost their mothers and fathers unnecessarily. Unfortunately some of them are sitting here today creating a second lost generation. My speech today is dedicated to those children.
Chair, the DA envisages a country where every child can reach their full potential. We call this vision an open opportunity society for all. We have to ensure that the barriers that had held children captive in perpetual poverty are reviewed and that the stepping stones out of poverty are laid by this government.
Social development is not the only department that plays an integral role in ensuring that a child reaches his or her full potential. However, our role is a significant one. The department's responsibility is to ensure that children who are abused, neglected and at risk or vulnerable are protected and receive the necessary support and services. The Children's Act is probably the most important piece of legislation that empowers and compels the department to support children in need.
The act is one of very few pieces of legislation, where a comprehensive costing report was conducted in order to inform the department and government of what human resources and finances would be needed to ensure that every child is protected and receives the right services at acceptable levels of quality.
The costing report gives two scenarios, a low and a high. The low scenario is described as good practice norms and standards for priority services but significantly lowers norms and standards for nonpriority services and activities. The high scenario is described as a uniform standard of all services and would ensure that all children across the country, irrespective of province, would receive quality services.
Unfortunately for millions of children and for the future of our country, government chose to opt for the lower option. This is not giving our children the best possible start in life. I would like to highlight the difference in the number of social workers that is needed according to the costing report.
The lower option states that we need 16 500 social workers and the higher option is 66 300 - a difference of nearly 50 000 social workers. Clearly services and standards are compromised between the two options and the losers are the children. In a reply to a parliamentary question, the Minister admitted that the total number of social workers currently registered is 16 740 for the entire country. She also mentioned that, according to the costing done to implement the Children's Act, 16 500 social workers are required to provide social welfare needs for children.
What the Minister fails to understand or acknowledge is that the low scenario is what she is using as the benchmark and not the high scenario. This excludes other services that social workers have to render, which range from anti-substance abuse; services to older people and persons with disabilities; crime prevention; and support for HIV/Aids infected and affected persons. Why is it that government has decided to take the low and not the high road when it comes to our children?
If the costing report only gave the high scenario as an option, Minister, you would have had no choice but to strive for the 66 000 social workers. We have taken the easy way out. What is a point of having the costing done on a very good piece of legislation, and not offer the best services to our children? We all know that the current number of social workers is simply not enough and that many children are being failed by the system. The ratio of one social worker to 60 cases is a dream for most. But, Minister, if this is the ratio your department has set, as you stated in the parliamentary reply, then you have an obligation to see to it that it becomes a reality. I recently visited the Boksburg Child Welfare and their caseload is 1 500 cases to one social worker, not 60.
Chair, the department will say that they are offering bursaries, as the Minister has mentioned, to people wanting to study social work. However, two weeks ago we witnessed that many graduates could not be absorbed into the department despite the chronic shortages of social workers. This is a reflection of extremely poor planning on the department's side. Why waste taxpayers' money on bursaries if you cannot place the graduates?
I am pleased to inform the House that the Western Cape accommodated all those who graduated and they have also introduced a mentoring programme to ensure that all social workers are competent in writing reports for courts. [Applause.]
Another important aspect of the Children's Act is that of the Child Protection Register. It only has a shameful 22 names on it and has cost the taxpayers R1,7 million thus far. That is over R77 000 per entry, which must make it one of the most expensive registers in the world.
Minister, you are giving a false sense of security to parents who have placed their confidence in the register. They believe that safeguards are in place to ensure that no person who could be a threat to their children will be allowed to work with them.
It is estimated that around 30 000 children per year are victims to sexual abuse. You need to explain to this House, Minister, why it is that only 22 names appear on the register and what do you intend to do about it. The children deserve better.
It is high time that the enthusiasm placed on the public relations exercise we witness from the ANC every time a new piece of legislation is debated in the House is carried through to the funding and the implementation of the legislation.
Substance abuse has reached epidemic proportions, particularly amongst youth. This government continues to fail to prioritise substance abuse, despite having a seminar. South Africa faces some of the highest statistics with one-third of all crime being related to alcohol or drug misuse. The World Health Organisation Global Status Report on Alcohol and Health for 2011 reports that South Africa is one of the leading countries in alcohol abuse disorder, consuming well over 5 billion litres of alcohol per year.
The recent findings by the Bureau for Market Research indicate that 80% of Gauteng high school pupils surveyed stated that they regularly consume alcohol. This clearly highlights that government's prevention strategy with regards to substance abuse is a dismal failure. In addition, three out of every 10 pupils surveyed admitted to using illicit drugs, with dagga being the most popular.
The Department of Social Development is the lead department in this regard and have poured millions into the "Ke Moja" [No thanks, I'm fine] campaign with very little benefit. I challenge anyone to bring the evidence of the outcomes of the campaign here today and mention them.
The continuing use of a universal prevention message or a one-size- fits- all approach is simply not working. Research from across the world shows that targeted prevention, which is community- and evidence-based, and takes both risk and resilience factors of each community into consideration is needed. Simply put, we must strive to have a more scientific approach to our substance abuse pandemic.
The Western Cape government has mainstreamed drug education by bringing it into the Life Orientation curriculum for the Grade 11s and next year it will also be extended to both Grades 5 and Grade 9.
The Central Drug Authority is useless and needs to be scrapped. It's exact effectiveness is not known to anyone and again I challenge anybody and the Minister to come forward with evidence of their outcomes. They cannot expect to be taken seriously if they do not take themselves seriously. They submitted their annual report late again this year and as a result have not appeared before the portfolio committee.
The National Drug Master Plan, which is one of the Central Drug Authority's, CDA's, major responsibilities, is flawed with many departments that are supposed to give input simply not doing so or not attending CDA meetings resulting in little or no co-ordination strategy across government.
In a reply to a parliamentary question, the Minister stated that only five out of 14 departments submitted their mini drug master plans to the CDA. Some of the departments that failed to submit include Basic Education, Justice and Sports. We simply cannot continue with a toothless authority while everyday an increasing number of children's lives are ruined.
Lastly, I want to speak about the issues around the SA Social Security Agency, Sassa. On 18 April Sassa came before the committee. Hon Pam Tshwete did a fantastic job chairing the meeting as hon Botha was ill at that time. At that time I raised the issue of the R10 billion tender and asked if Sassa officials along with the bid evaluation and the bid technical committees could come before the committee to clarify matters to members. In response the chief executive officer, CEO, did offer to answer questions but the acting chair said: We are saying the bid committees are not here and other people are not here. We want everyone to be here when we discuss it because it is a serious matter.
The chair also went on to say:
... in that context it would mean that before we go for debate on 2nd May, which is today, we will ask if they can come and present so we can get answers. I will talk to the Minister and the chairperson about it.
The following week, on 24 April we dealt with the report from the previous week's meeting. Hon Botha, who was absent from the original meeting, refused to capture the decision taken by the acting chair and the committee. I have looked in the Announcements, Tablings and Committee Reports, ATC, of 25 April and it is not reflected.
I must point out that I walked out of the meeting in disgust. Pertinent questions need to be asked and answered. I will not be dictated to by someone who misleads the ethics committee. Chair, the questions that need to be asked are firstly, what was the reasoning in terms of which the CEO of Sassa issued Notice Two on 6 June, which had a material effect on the tender, making biometric verification a requirement - and that is a preference - which excluded all but one tender; and secondly, whether the winning bidder, Cash Paymaster Services, CPS, paid any monies to any individual on the technical and evaluations committees, or paid for any overseas trips including those to Malaysia or gave a R25 million donation to the ANC?
I have written to the Public Protector in this regard in order to ensure that all South Africans, especially those who rely on social grants to survive, are confident that the tender process was in accordance with all regulations and the principle of an open opportunity society for all and not the few politically connected.
In conclusion, if we are to allow every child to achieve their full potential in an open opportunity society they need to know that they can become whatever they desire and that no stepping stones will be removed along the way to prevent them from becoming their very best. It is this vision of providing every child the best possible start in life that motivates the DA. We believe that every child can and must own their future. I thank you. [Applause.]
Chairperson, I would like to take this opportunity and applaud the Minister for her visibility to communities in distress as well as on the stance that she takes on wrongdoing by the department officials and not hiding scandals but instead exposing them and giving out correct information to the public. [Applause.]
On behalf of Cope I would also like to applaud Mr Khaya Ngcelwane of Qawukeni area in the Eastern Cape. As the manager of the Flagstaff of the Lusikisili district, he assisted the department and the SA Social Security Agency, Sassa, to save thousands of rands. More than 2 000 grant beneficiaries cancelled their defrauded grants. This poses a challenge to other provinces to do likewise by disseminating information and educating communities on corruption. For a beneficiary to get a grant when they are not supposed to, is corruption.
As the Minister stated, our country is engulfed by various social ills. Rape has an effect on children. One of the ills is the gruesome and brutal rape of children by gangs. The rape of a mentally challenged girl in Soweto is just the tip of the iceberg.
Take a map of South Africa today and juxtapose it to that of 2000. What you will see is a picture of the highest incidences of child and baby rape in the world. South Africa's 2012 map is pockmarked with thumbtacks of rape attacks. These attacks leave children and young girls with mental and physical scars. There is an increased need to address the problem socially, politically and legally. Teachers are also raping learners with impunity, for example the one in Grahamstown. The challenge is on the President as the head of the state to condemn rape attacks.
When it comes to the issue of elderly abuse Cope calls on government to strengthen interdepartmental relations to avert elderly abuse and violation of the Batho Pele principles. Ntombentsha Pama of eDutywa is an 84-year-old grandmother of six children, who was verbally abused by a ward councillor, mayor and politicians. Her crime was a visit by SABC's Touching Lives programme that reported and televised her plight.
She lives in a dilapidated and leaking house and that exposed and angered officials. They gave her a tongue-lashing, asking her why she did not go to them. This led to her collapse because her blood pressure shot up, and she had difficulty in breathing. They left her with just two blankets and a business card. Another victim of abuse is Mr Somkhala, who was brutally raped by young boys and killed in Palmerton Administrative area, in Lusikisiki.
On behalf of the Congress of the People, I would like to reiterate the review of "Ke Moja" drug awareness programme and other programmes funded by the department. Ke Moja is not visible in rural areas and townships where they are needed most. There are also taverns close to the schools, as the Minister has stated already, and the government does not seem bothered by this. I can cite Khotso Junior Secondary School where a tavern is situated right at the gate of the school.
I would also urge the hon Minister to intervene and stop the shops from selling an insect pesticide which is used to control moths in the maize tanks. People, even professionals, are using this insecticide to commit suicide in the Eastern Cape, especially in Pondoland. They leave children behind, and the department is obliged to take care of them. Prevention is better than cure. To remind the department, in 2007, Ms Mfiki of Mtambalala used this insecticide to kill herself and her four children. The department had to bury those five bodies.
I would like also to state the call I have made early this year. I called on the government to give clarity on the policy of pauper burials. When someone dies and there is no one to take responsibility for the body, the hospital where death occurred will arrange for a simple funeral. Jongikhaya Mpayipheli of Lady Frere died in hospital here in Cape Town, on 1 May 2011. Instead of a simple funeral and burial, the hospital handed his body to the funeral parlour. The parlour donated his body to Stellenbosch University. His family found him made a cadaver without their consent. This gives an impression that there are many people who died and their deaths are not known by their families. They never get a proper and dignified burial but are donated to universities as cadavers for research.
Who in this House can accept such an act to be done to his or her family member? I would like to urge the department responsible for this to apologise to Mpayipheli's family on behalf of the government. I understand that the government cannot authorise anyone to donate the corpse of any person without the consent of his next of kin. Even if a person is unknown, either the hospital or parlour has a responsibility to bury the corpse. The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa respects cultural life and choices of people. Cope believes it is time for the Constitution to reign. Access to information is a right, not a privilege, and this must be enacted to give effect to this right. In conclusion, Cope supports the Budget vote. I thank you. [Applause.]
Hon Chairperson, hon Minister and hon Deputy Minister, our country's poor, most vulnerable and those with special needs require an adequately resourced and efficient network of social development services in order to minister to their various needs. The Minister and the department are at the veritable coalface of this very important portfolio, a portfolio in which delays in the provision of services can cost lives.
The Hon President, in his state of the nation address, identified three challenges facing the government, which are poverty, inequality and unemployment. As it is the core mandate of the Department of Social Development to build a caring and integrated system of social services that facilitate human development and improve the quality of life for all, it is to this core mandate that we turn when we measure the overall success of the department.
The IFP welcomes programmes, such as Early Childhood Development, ECD, and the announcement that there were funds set aside for the development of infrastructure related strictly to ECDs, as these centres are very important as they deal with the development of a child from an early age. Child and youth care programmes that address the needs of orphans and vulnerable children through appointing child and youth care workers to provide support to children in their homes and communities is also welcomed.
The anti-substance abuse campaign aimed at educating the population on the dangers of substance abuse, especially alcohol, will have a knock-on effect in assisting with the reduction of related crimes such as violence against women, children and people with disabilities. We support the Zero Hunger and Food for All programmes which will be implemented in partnership with the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, to deal with issues of improving access to food in households that are most likely to experience hunger.
Whilst these programmes are all wonderful initiatives, the IFP hopes that they are implemented in such a way so as to ensure even distribution of benefits, particularly within our rural communities. The department must ensure that these projects are sufficiently funded and have adequate human resources if these programmes are going to have the desired impact on the ground.
The old age grant beneficiaries are targeted at being 2,8 million by March 2013 and child support grant beneficiaries 11,491 million by March 2013. We therefore support the re-registration of beneficiaries that is currently being done by the department and hope that this will also assist in making sure that the beneficiaries receiving these grants are those that are supposed to and qualify to do so. The introduction of the new South African Social Service Agency, Sassa, smart card which operates in both the formal banking environment and at designated cash points is also welcomed, as this will alleviate grant beneficiaries from travelling extra distances to access funds.
As nongovernmental organisations, NGOs, are funded by the National Development Agency, NDA, they must be supported by programmes that will enhance their capacity to enable them to carry out their work effectively. Funding and not educating them on how to successfully run their organisation is not helping them. They also require oversight, monitoring and evaluation. We have also noted that there has been a great improvement when it comes to missing files and hope that measures are now in place to ensure that the situation does not revert back to where it was. The improvement of local offices and pay point infrastructure must be attended to urgently, as conditions at some pay points are not conducive to effective service delivery.
In conclusion, the IFP is happy with the progress the department has made to date, and we continue to offer our full support to the Minister and her department, as we, as a country, seek to address the social inequalities of our citizens. The IFP supports Budget Vote No 19: Social Development. Thank you. [Applause.]
Hon Chairperson, Minister of Social Development, MECs, ladies and gentlemen, good afternoon. I rise to motivate Budget Vote 19 of the Department of Social Development, in my speech last year I made a commitment on behalf of the Ministry that the department would be taken to communities.
In the spirit of that commitment, I dedicate this speech to every child, young person, woman and man from the village of Ga-Ramaswikana in Limpopo to peri-urban Devon in Gauteng. Yes, many more communities remain on our to- do list, but a start has been made.
Pixley ka Isaka Seme the fifth President of the ANC who is also the focus of the ruling party's May month centenary celebrations, wrote in 1911:
Co-operation is the key and the watchword which opens the door, the everlasting door which leads to progress and all national success. The greatest success shall come when man shall have learned to co-operate, not only with his own, but with all people and with all life.
These words are still relevant today as they were in 1911. Co-operation is a crucial factor for the success of any community development programme or initiative. That is, co-operation between ourselves as various units of the departments; co-operation between us and other sister departments as well as other levels of government, and; co-operation between us and civil society. Could this be what was envisaged by Pixley ka Iseme and the founders of the ANC? Yes.
I have seen how this co-operation can be possible and how it can work. Having had extensive discussions with my Brazilian counterpart, Deputy Minister Paes, on the challenges of combating the vicious cycle of social exclusion, it was evident that not only was a multidisciplinary approach absolutely necessary but it had to be anchored by a strong political will. The political will is there and it is there in abundance. Under the able stewardship of Minister Bathabile Dlamini this department is committed to the developmental agenda adopted at successful conferences of the ruling party in its 100 years of existence.
As the ruling party we are determined that the decision where money is allocated is not a structural choice but represents and reflects a political choice. We are determined that this must be applied to all provinces. Community development work takes patience, diligence and asks of us to be fully committed to a process. It therefore requires a civil servant of a special type. Do not come to the Department of Social Development if you do not have people at heart.
Hlala ekhaya ufune omunye umsebenzi. [Rather stay at home and look for another job.] [Applause.] Due to targeted areas we often do not consider sacrifices made and difficulties faced by officials who conduct community analyses, mobilisation for dialogues and the preparation for these visits. I therefore wish to honour Busisiwe Milanzi, a young woman who served as my personal assistant until 3 August 2011. Dedicated to making a difference, she died at the age of 34 years when her vehicle rolled on a gravel road close to the community of Ga-Ramaswikana in Limpopo. This was the first community targeted in our programme of taking the department to communities. We therefore dedicate this programme called, Taking the Department of Social Development to Communities, in her memory. She is gone, but her spirit is marching on.
Ga-Ramaswikana like Cassel in the Northern Cape and other areas could only be reached by travelling on untarred roads for long distances. These are the roads that many say make communities in rural areas inaccessible for the delivery of basic foodstuffs. It is ironic that beer, other alcoholic beverages and cigarettes can be delivered using the same roads. Our experience over the past two months indicates that we have to accelerate our collective efforts in reaching our target of 100 communities in the 100 poorest wards in our country. We have to travel the gravel roads and prove that communities are accessible.
Taking social development to communities is by and large about social mobilisation. It is precisely for this reason that we have partnered with Soul City, the Seriti Institute and the South African Broadcasting Corporation, SABC, to launch Kwanda talk in June this year. Kwanda talk is a follow-up programme that inspires individuals, institutions and communities to debate development issues and mobilise for an active citizenry. There will be 10 episodes of 50 minutes each.
Of the communities visited in the eight provinces most have had follow-up visits. In many, action plans have been collectively developed and we are in discussions with sister departments, government agencies like the National Development Agency, NDA, municipalities and provincial counterparts and joint programmes together with communities. I must acknowledge and thank the MECs for their unwavering support so far. Without you there is no programme of Taking the Department of Social Development to Communities, thank you very much, MECs. [Applause.]
In order to do this work we must have trained and capable people who can assist communities, have partners with community-based organisations, CBOs, to deliver community development services in a manner that enhances the livelihood of poor and vulnerable communities.
The Bible says if you despise the poor, you look down upon God who created them. Some of the support to community-based organisations has been: the development of guidelines for CBOs - 220 CBOs and 152 community development practitioners have been trained on these guidelines; and hosting the inaugural summit for the professionalisation of community development in October 2011.
Recognising that community-based organisations and Nonprofit Organisations, NPOs, are integral to the success of community development, I therefore report that during the 2011-12 financial year the department received 18 488 new applications for registration from community-based organisations for the NPO registration status. Ninety four percent were processed within two months and 68% of all received applications were compliant at the first attempt; the register of a nonprofit organisations database has increased from 44 222 on 31 March 2007 to a total of 84 996 nonprofit organisations at the end of March 2012.
One of the functions of the department is to monitor all registered NPOs in terms of their compliance to the Nonprofit Organisations Act. The compliance rate has been improved by 26%, we are committed to further improve on this figure. Training was provided to 1200 NPOs and community- based organisations. Further plans to strengthen the sector include increasing staff members in the department who deal with registrations and road shows in order to provide information and listen to challenges faced by the sector.
Our main ally will be our developmental arm as I like to call it, the National Development Agency, under the leadership of the CEO, Dr Nhlapho and the board led by Mr Malose Kekana. The National Development Agency has in the previous years disbursed R83 million to projects and approved 53 projects to the value of R78 million. The Department of Social Development is an active member of the SA Aids Council. The department will, during this financial year, strive to reduce new HIV and Aids infections through social behavioural change programmes such as community capacity enhancement that is intended to build HIV and Aids competent communities. I know we can do this.
In our programme of Taking the Department of Social Development to Communities one of the dialogues conducted is the issue of behavioural change as it relates to HIV and Aids, this dialogue targets mainly the youth in the communities visited. All the plans are listed in the document tabled before this august House. Time does not permit me to go into detail, but rest assured that all efforts are mobilised to decisively deal with challenges faced by affected and infected communities.
I wish to thank Minister Dlamini for providing the type of support, leadership and cadreship that is without equal. Thank you to hon members from all political parties who somehow managed to balance criticism with constructive advice, especially the IFP and Cope. [Applause.] The whole is only as good as its parts and ...
Hon Deputy Minister, your time has expired.
... I must sincerely thank each and every staff member led by Director-General Vusi Madonsela for their willingness to be public servants of a special type. I humbly ask that you support Budget Vote 19. I thank you. [Applause.]
Hon Chairperson, hon Minister and Deputy Minister of Social Development, Ministers and Deputy Ministers, hon members, hon guests and senior officials of the Department of Social Development, greetings to you all. I start by saying the ANC supports the Budget Vote for Social Development.
I do hope that we all participated in or contributed to remembering the glorious day when, for the first time in our country, we united and decided to embark on a noble journey that ensured that South Africa honours and treats all its citizens equally, then we made a commitment that we will be united in ensuring that we make a better life for all.
It is so befitting that after just a few days after celebrating that glorious day and the struggles of the working class, we are here talking about the strides this government has made in fulfilling that mandate of making life better for all its citizens. The contribution of Social Development in this regard is commendable and the challenges of the country require that we encourage and give the department maximum support as citizens.
The recent celebration of Freedom Day was actually a stark reminder to us that we must never forget where we come from. This department is in the midst of untangling and tackling those social issues that were planted by unjust laws.
The department has managed to make some considerable strides, despite some serious challenges with regard to the social landscape of the country and staff shortages. For example, during our oversight visit, last year, the regional SA Social Security Agency, Sassa, in the Eastern Cape had a vacancy rate of 61,3%, putting pressure at operational and supervision levels. We recommend that an action plan be developed with timeframes for Sassa to address this situation.
In the last financial year the department successfully funded 1 321 home community-based care organisations to provide services to different communities throughout the country. The visit of the portfolio committee to the Eastern Cape, last year, demonstrated that, through the National Development Agency, NDA, funded home community-based care workers, the services of the department were able to reach deep rural areas. The NDA projects not only contributed to the wellbeing of families, but also contributed to job creation for youth and women.
It is also commendable that the department was able to provide stipends to 55 981 community caregivers and also train 6 744 community caregivers. In addition to the support of the department, half a million orphans and vulnerable children received services from home community-based care organisation. These services included psychosocial support, provision of food parcels and meals, homework supervision and provision of school uniforms. This represents an important aspect of circles of care for children at community level.
As an illustration of achievements made in the area of community-based care services to children, while the committee was in the Eastern Cape, we also found that the Isibindi Model implemented by the National Association of Child and Youth Care Workers provided a good model for the implementation of child and youth care services. The goal of this model is to create safe and caring communities for children and youth who are at risk and vulnerable, such as those in child-headed households, as well as those affected by poverty and HIV and Aids. Isibindi means courage, therefore its intention is to give orphans and the vulnerable hope and courage to move on with their lives, despite the challenges they are faced with; for example, child-headed households.
There are currently 67 Isibindi projects in 32 districts nationally, and these projects have serviced more than 80 000 children in different communities. Due to the success of this model, the national department intends to expand community-based care services to orphans and vulnerable children in the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework period by rolling out the Isibindi project to reach more than 1,4 million children through the engagement of 400 community-based organisations and the recruitment and training of 10 000 child and youth care workers.
The model is designed to reach remote, underserviced rural areas. Utilising locally based support systems to take services to the people is in line with the policy of the ANC government of social mobilisation and empowerment of communities to provide services in partnership with government. It is important to further indicate that the youth to be recruited and trained will be directly recruited by the community itself, in collaboration with officials from the provincial department, the identified community-based organisations, and the National Association of Child Care Workers.
As mandated by the Children's Act, the department is developing the partial care strategy in consultation with relevant stakeholders across all nine provinces. The total number of registered Early Childhood Development, ECD, centres by the end of 2011 was 19 561. Eighty-nine officials from the Department of Correctional Services are being trained on Chapter 5, that is partial care, and Chapter 6, that is ECD, of the Children's Act.
The department is also reviewing the implementation of the National Integrated Plan for Early Childhood Development. The department will conduct a comprehensive audit of 5 487 ECD centres in all provinces by the year 2012-13 and increase the number of children accessing ECD by 10%. Of crucial importance, it will also facilitate the development of a programme of action to implement the declaration and resolutions of the conference held at the end of March 2012.
The plan of action will, amongst others, look at the following: Strengthening the role of parents, caregivers, families and communities in the provision of ECD services in facilities and the home-based environment; the inclusion of children with special needs and the deliberate extension of ECD services to children in rural areas; adequate resourcing of ECD services, including infrastructure provisioning; working towards improving training and the accreditation thereof, the professionalisation of the work of ECD practitioners and the application of the Basic Conditions of Employment Act in their employment relationship.
The protection of our children is the priority of the ANC, therefore, Parts A and B of the National Child Protection Register are being fully implemented. A total of 2 678 cases of abuse, neglect, and exploitation were recorded in respect of Part A of the register for the 2011-12 financial year. For Part B, 11 191 enquiries were processed. This year the department intends to screen a minimum of 4 000 more employees working with children against the register.
Siyathemba ukuba isebe liza kukhawulezisa ukuqinisekisa ukuba abantu abajonge abantwana bayabaxilongwa, ukuze abantwana bangafumani ngxaki yokuphinda baxhatshazwe ngabantu ababajongayo. (Translation of isiXhosa paragraph follows.)
[We hope that the department will speed up the process to ensure that the caregivers are screened, so that children do not get into a problem of being abused again by their caregivers.]
In the recent past, we had sad stories of some facilities that burned down due to faulty structural problems. The department is addressing this by undertaking a condition assessment of 58 old-age homes that are at risk. This will indicate which homes can be improved structurally or closed down. In addition, this year the department will ensure that services and facilities for older persons are registered. Registration of services will ensure compliance with the provisions sections 13 and 18 of the Older Persons Act, as well as to monitor compliance with the norms and standards for both residential and community-based programmes.
The Portfolio Committee on Social Development conducted an oversight visit to the Eastern Cape last year and was briefed by the provincial chapter of Sassa on their performance on implementing national priorities. The committee also visited projects funded by the National Development Agency. We found that the provincial department had implemented the key national strategic priorities. Those priorities are welfare services, for example, services to children, women, people with disabilities, older persons and people affected by HIV and Aids.
As mentioned in the previous paragraph, despite the remarkable strides made by the department, there are challenges that reflect the broader challenges in the country, and therefore, we cannot sit on our laurels and bask in the glory of our successes.
One of the challenges we have recognised at our visit was the lack of training of home-based care workers as required by the department. There is also a lack of adequate and permanent office space. This was demonstrated by a visit to the Siyazama Family Violence Prevention project in Elliotdale. We were impressed by the psycho-social support it provided for a range of social problems, but we are obviously concerned with the lack of appropriate shelter.
The department has committed to address these issues in the financial year and will be closely monitored. These include the training of home community- based care workers and project members that will assist them with the administration and management of aspects, such as office management.
Chairperson, I wish to conclude by thanking dedicated committee members in the length and breadth of this beautiful country. Despite their own material conditions, they put their bodies on the line to ensure that those who have nothing are looked after in the spirit of ubuntu.
I wish to thank all the volunteers and say they must continue to make this country work and be a better place for all. Together we can do more!
I also wish to thank them for the support and co-operation that we are receiving from the department and its provincial counterparts. I thank the Minister for the sterling leadership that she is providing to the Portfolio Committee of Social Development. I thank you. [Applause.]
Chairperson, hon Minister, it is the understanding of the ACDP that the implementation of the Children's Act requires at least 40 000 social workers on the ground, and we currently have about one quarter of this number.
Recent efforts to address the shortage of social workers in South Africa sadly seem to be falling short as well. Students say that the Gauteng Department of Social Development gave bursaries to people to be trained as social auxiliary workers but failed to provide basic resources like chairs, desks, paper and computers. One student said:
What can motivate someone to work in a profession that does not have money? The working conditions of social workers do not motivate someone to stay in the profession. I have changed my course to one that can give me professional growth. It is unfair for social workers to spend four years in university and after that the government does not take the profession seriously.
These are not my words, hon Minister, but those of a student who has turned away from this honourable profession. Does this budget target this crucial aspect of the work that needs to be done? Budget constraints are always going to be a reality, but the safety and wellbeing of South African children cannot be compromised.
The ACDP applauds government's efforts to focus more effectively on partnering with the church and NGO sector. We must ensure funds are allocated for credible organisations with proven track records to access relevant training and funding in order to effectively implement the provisions of the Children's Act, Act 38 of 2005, which came to effect on 1 April 2010. The big question is, how is the department going to ensure that money allocated for implementation of the Children's Act does not get swallowed up in the provinces and cut off children at risk, in need, and in crisis? Community workers are crying out for more trained people with counselling skills and problem solving abilities to help in communities. There is also a need for social workers to be available in the community on certain days and at specific times, for offices in villages, where people can access information regarding government departments like Social Development, Health, Basic Education and Human Settlements.
Community workers encounter endless pathologies with children. They say if they could be assessed by an intern or registered psychologist at an early stage to identify problems, intervention could take place for corrective therapy. They are calling for funds to enable trustworthy NGOs to provide this service.
Another community request is that requirements for early childhood development centres, ECD centres, should be more flexible as they are disadvantaging communities, especially regarding designated parking bays. The ACDP calls on the Minister to look into this. The ACDP is concerned that, except for ECD and Isibindi programmes, very little budget seems to have been allocated for services.
The significant increase for Foster Care Grants is noted. However, while we endorse grants where there is a real need, it is a waste and even counter- productive for resources to be spent without assessment and at least a basic training for fosterers. Credible reports indicate that this is not being done. Lastly, experts say that every effort should be made to allow children to grow up in contact and good relationship with both parents to foster balance and well-adjusted adults. The ACDP is aware that more and more concerns are being raised about the obstacle faced by fathers who want to maintain contact and good relationships with their children. Thank you vey much. [Time expired.]
Hon Chairperson, whilst the MF notes that there has been improvements in certain areas, challenges however continue to persist. The Minister of Finance highlighted in his Budget Speech that R1,4 billion in an MTEF was put aside for early childhood development, ECD, challenges. We welcome the hon Minister's priority of focus on the ECD programme. We are extremely concerned and it is of paramount importance to ensure the extent to which disabled children access ECD, and that the relevant capacity and infrastructure is provided for their needs as well. Indeed, challenges continue to prevail in rural areas and amongst farm dwellers. More focus has to be put in this area.
Hon Minister, when are dealing with the elderly, we must thread very cautiously. The recent pay-out crisis was indeed devastating. Many experienced tremendous hardship in trying to access their grants and pensions. The smartcard system is a step in the right direction. However, people must be brought on board as to how it functions. Training is absolutely crucial. The MF welcomes the biometric process but, Minister, we must be mindful that pensioners are compelled to shop at certain outlets and pay more than the normal price for food before they can swipe their cards to receive payments. This is unacceptable and must be investigated.
Hon Minister, while people have an access to various food security programmes of government, the department needs to alert the people on how to access assistance, especially in the rural areas amongst farm dwellers and farm workers. They are the ones who are being excluded at the moment.
The MF welcomes the department's positive strides in gathering research pertaining to a widow's and widowers' grant for those that are unemployed and have no source of income. The MF is glad that this is in the pipeline. We hope for its speedy finality and this would also address the issue of poverty alleviation, as correctly mentioned in the state of the nation address by the hon President that the poor must be given preference.
We note, with sadness, the challenges and the predicament that the informal settlements experience in obtaining IDs. This has a rippling impact on them accessing their grants and pensions. The research by UN International Children's Emergency Fund, Unicef, that over 2 million children are still not accessing their grants means more has to be done to assist the poor. Another area of concern for the MF is the state of confusion our pensioners find themselves in with the different cards. The cards that Home Affairs have with relevant information will ease the challenges if there is integration with SA Social Security Agency smart card to avoid more complications amongst the elderly, illiterate and semi-illiterate so that when we talk about programmes of government they are fully aware that this is the card that they can use.
There is an absolute need to intensify the campaign against substance abuse. The MF calls for a monitoring process of capacity-building of Non- Profit Organisations, NOPs, by the National Development Agency, NDA, as well as progress on poverty eradication. Whilst the MF is committed to building a caring society, we are indeed equally committed to raise the levels of service delivery amongst all our people. I thank you. The MF will support the Budget Vote. [Applause.]
Hon Chairperson, hon Ministers present, Deputy Ministers, hon Members of Parliament, officials of departments and guests, good afternoon.
The mandate of the Department of Social Development is to provide a comprehensive social protection service to the most vulnerable and reduce poverty. It does this through social grants, welfare services and community development. Evidence has shown that social grants continue to be vital in improving access to food in households that are most likely to experience hunger.
To further improve access to food security, the Department of Social Development, in partnership with the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, will establish a food security - Zero Hunger - programme which aims to fight food insecurity, hunger and malnutrition. This is a significant initiative that the department is embarking on as it would benefit female-headed households, children and people with disability who currently fall in the policy gaps. The programme has had major successes in Brazil in fighting poverty.
Hon members, it gives me great pleasure to speak about the National Development Agency, NDA, which is an entity of government that was established after 1994. Its main purpose is to contribute to the eradication of poverty through an interfaced partnership with civil society organisations. As this auspicious House we have high expectations for the agency and appreciate the role that it has played over the past ten years.
The NDA continues to unlock the potential of civil society organisations that implement development projects in poor communities, consequentially linking them to government priorities and outcomes.
In the 2011-12 financial year, it successfully dispersed R83 million in cash to projects and approved 53 projects to the value of R78 million. As the Deputy Minister indicated, the National Development Agency has invested R10,2 million to support capacity-building interventions of the civil society organisations in the sectors of early childhood development, vulnerable groups and rural development.
For this financial year and beyond, the NDA will be focusing on four key areas, which I believe will contribute to lessening the burden of poverty in some of the communities that we serve. These are: early childhood development; food security; income generation programmes and projects; as well as capacity-building, which runs through all these programmes.
In terms of food security, the NDA will fund agricultural projects aimed at providing food security at community and household level. It will step up capacity development initiatives partnerships with organisations engaged in food security through resource sharing and collaboration, and undertake continuous research on the status of food security, policy development, lobbying and advocacy.
The future can never be bright without taking into account income generation programmes to ensure sustainable employment and skilling of women, youth and people with disabilities so as to enable them to participate in the mainstream economy. To this effect, the NDA will continue to fund civil society organisations-based income generation projects that can create employment for the poor in targeted communities.
In respect of capacity-building, the NDA will strengthen the capacity of the NDA-funded projects to deliver effective services to the poor. It will support the intermediary civil society organisations to reach out to a wide range of CSOs at local level. It will also support NPO directorate at the Department of Social Development in addressing institutional capacity constraints of registered CSOs.
Hon members, the NDA's mandate is to contribute towards redressing the past. It works with the most vulnerable members of our society and some are located in very remote areas. It needs resources and everyone's support in order to reach out to as many people as possible.
The NDA will establish a programme management unit to leverage on its legislative mandate of being a conduit for local and international resources. The programme management unit will specifically deliver on the following: It will focus on the provision of project management services to government, the private sector and donors. It will manage funds from the public, private sector and individual citizens both locally and internationally.
The NDA has over the years struggled with the issue of monitoring funded projects. Hon members, I am pleased to report that there has been significant improvement in this area. I think a bit of context is in order in this regard. There are several reasons why monitoring and evaluation are undertaken in community development. The following are but some of these reasons: It assesses the performance of programmes and projects. It reviews activities against plans and assesses risks and provides support. It enables the project to comply with contractual obligations and improves the effectiveness of management and projects administration. It develops a source of data for learning and innovation, and it informs future planning of projects and programmes.
One critical concern we have is the closure of advice centres and provincial development councils in the Western Cape as vehicles of providing access to information advice, lobbying and advocacy for the poor. We call upon the Western Cape government to recognise civil society as an important player in developing poor communities.
Sihlalo, njengobe siLikomidi Letekutfutfukisa Tenhlalakahle Yebantfu nje, sike savakashela lemiklamo ye-NDA eMpumalanga kanye naseMphumalanga Kapa. Yonkhe lena lesiyibonile iyasebenta futsi itimele, seyidzimate yavula nematfuba emisebenti emimangweni ledla imbuya ngelutsi. (Translation of Siswati paragraph follows.)
[Chairperson, as a Committee of Social Development, we once visited the NDA projects at Mpumalanga and Eastern Cape. All the projects we saw are functioning and are independent; they have even created job opportunities for poor communities.]
Hon member, you have two minutes to conclude.
Sidzimate sayawubona umklamo lokutsiwa yi-Triple Option Furniture, eMpumalanga. Lomklamo wacala ngemnyaka wanga- 2002, watfola imali lenganga- R753 520 ka-NDA nga-2004. Lomklamo-ke utimele futsi ubakhicitela tivalo letilikhulu ngenyanga. Sebadzimate baba nekontileka nebaka -MICA futsi, kantsi netitolo taka-Lewis tikhicitelwa ngabo ifenisha yato.
Lomunye uklamo lesiwuvakashele Likusasa Letfu - iLeather Fern Farm. Lowo mklamo solo wacala uyasebenta futsi utfutfukisa bantfu bakitsi. Imali labayitfola ka-NDA ngu-R1 990 000. Lomklamo solo uyasebenta-ke, nanyalo usemile futsi ucashe bantfu labange-60 labasebenta kuwo.
Asikagcini ngekuya eMpumalanga kuphela, kodvwa siyile naseMpumalanga Kapa. Lesikubonile eMpumalanga Kapa, sikhandze kutsi kukhona Lubambiswano lwaseMpumalanga Mncwasa Lwekulima Nekukhicita. [Mncwasa East Agricultural and Manufacturing Co-operative.] [Kuhlaba lulwini.] (Translation of Siswati paragraphs follows.) [We eventually saw the project called Triple Option Furniture, at Mpumalanga. This project started in the year 2002; it got a funding of R753 520 from the NDA in 2004. This project is independent and it produces hundred doors per month. They also have a contract with MICA, and they also manufacture furniture for Lewis stores.
Another project that we visited is Likusasa Letfu - a Leather Fern Farm. Since its inception the project is working and is developing our people. The money they got from the NDA is R1 990 000. The project is still functioning and has 60 employees.
We did not end up by going to Mpumalanga only; we also went to the Eastern Cape. What we found out in the Eastern Cape is that there is Mncwasa East Agricultural and Manufacturing Co-operative.] [Interjections.]
Chairperson, on a point of order, the time has expired! [Interjections.]
Are you the Chairperson? [Laughter.]
Hon member, continue mnganami. [my friend].
I don't know why the hon member gets so angry.
Lomunye umklamo useMpumalanga Kapa lekutsiwa; Lubambiswano lwaseMpumalanga Mncwasa Lwekulima Nekukhicita. [nguMncwasa East Agricultural and Manufacturing Co-operative]. Lomklamo-ke, Sihlalo, solomane wacalwa uyatfutfuka. Labomake labakulomklamo basebenta kahle, bete tinkinga, sebadzimate baba negontilaki yekwakha tindlu lapho khona babhaka titini letiyi-1 600 ngeliviki, futsi titsengiswa tonkhe. [Kuhlaba Lulwimi.] Ngiyabonga, Losesihlalweni, nami sengibuyela phasi. Khongolose uyalisekela Leliphakelo. [Tandla] (Translation of Siswati paragraph follows.)
[Another project is in the Eastern Cape, called; Mncwasa East Agricultural and Manufacturing Co-operative. This project, Chairperson, has been developing ever since it was started. The women in this project are working well, they have no problems, and they now have a house building construction where they manufacture 1 600 bricks per week, and are able to sell all of them. [Interjections.] Thank you Chairperson, I am now taking my seat. The African National Congress supports the budget vote. [Applause.]
Hon Chairperson, hon Ministers and Deputy Ministers, hon members of the House and guests, my speech will focus on unemployment, poverty, budget and the overall impact.
The primary mandate of this department is significant in either making or breaking this nation, particularly the management of and oversight over social security, and the developmental social welfare services that provide support to reduce poverty.
In his state of the nation address the hon President highlighted the triple challenge of poverty, unemployment and inequality. He further noted that we need higher growth and job creation to eradicate poverty and inequality. The DA agrees with the President and we are willing to share our 8% growth policy project recipe with the government.
South Africa is rich in natural resources, but to date the level of poverty is growing daily. Is the National Development Agency, NDA, doing enough in terms of its primary mandate? Are the people on the ground, the masses, really feeling the presence of this department through the National Development Agency? Those are the questions.
The demand for social grants is on the increase. At the end of March 2012, over 15,5 million South Africans benefited from this.
This increase is a huge concern in terms of fraud, corruption and the issue that files go missing in this department, some critical documents also go missing from the main files, and some loose documents still need to be placed in the files and captured on the management information system. Even though the department is trying hard to deal with these administrative errors, the increase will lay a huge burden of responsibility and accountability on the SA Social Security Agency, Sassa.
To that effect the bulk of the current budget is allocated to the social assistance programme, with the strongest growth recorded for social relief, 40,1%, followed by foster care, 13,5%. Is this sustainable? This is alarming.
Minister, previous research has shown that most South Africans prefer being employed with benefits and enjoy the financial freedom than to depend on grants, but when one looks at most poverty reduction measures by the government, they are partial and do not provide beneficiaries with the option of migrating from the welfare benefit system. So, this department should lead and advocate strongly on job creation.
The SA Social Security Agency has been paying the special investigating unit R3 million on a monthly basis for it to investigate fraud and corruption with regard to social grants. This spending can be drastically reduced if the department develops strict internal risk and control measures.
Chairperson, the education system is failing our children. The number of youth in conflict with the law is on the increase. Out of a population of 49 million, 7,5 million South Africans are out of work. In August 2011, 71% of the unemployed were under the age of 34 and now in February 2012, 73% of the unemployed are under the age of 35, and most of them graduates.
This is critical and hence the DA youth will continue advocating for the youth wage subsidy until the demand is met by government. Offering employers financial incentives to hire first-time job seekers would dramatically increase the opportunities for the youth in South Africa and eventually improve the economy of this country.
Since the birth of democracy in South Africa, many changes have taken place, but not all of these have made any real difference to lives of older persons. This is from the report on the situation of older persons in South Africa.
Minister, irrespective of conferences, there is a huge concern about the failed commitment of government to implement the Older Persons Act of 2006, which was gazetted in 2010. To date, only 4 provinces have signed a delegation of powers of the Older Persons Act. That is Gauteng, Western Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga.
The levels of sexual offences are persistently high and this department is a member of the victim's empowerment management team. On an annual basis member departments should submit reports to Parliament on the implementation of this Act in their departments, but to date no report has been submitted by the Department of Social Development. It is high time that government provide services. Every year the President announces a theme, but what follows at the end of the financial year is a report of underspending, overspending, fruitless expenditure and a series of qualified reports of most departments from the office of the Auditor- General.
Minister, the Department of Social Development, as the heartbeat of government, as you said, and consequently the government as a whole body, will not succeed in intensifying the fight against poverty and achieving the socioeconomic needs of our country, if we continue with this trend.
The most important question is whether the Department of Social Development has the capacity to utilize the resources allocated for development effectively, with the aim to impact on the poverty eradication.
In an open opportunity society for all, we believe that in growing job creation: Firstly, opportunities need to reach more people; secondly, government needs to improve access to education and improve education outcomes; and thirdly, develop professional skills.
The DA believes that creating employment will grow our economy and the tax base will broaden, and more revenue will be directed to those who need it the most. This is the kind of vicious cycle our country needs to address in the triple challenge of poverty and inequality.
The price of petrol continues to increase, electricity tariffs have increased and the cost of food is going up, making the cost of living even more unbearable for poor citizens.
The gap between the poor and the rich is growing and this is perpetuated by the introduction of systems like the e-tolls in Gauteng, legislation like the Secrecy Bill and the review of the power of the courts.
Imagine a country where corruption and white-collar crimes are so rife, where the poor workers contribute through taxation, where everyone is uninformed and left in the dark of the general progress and the financial ills in their motherland, because whoever informs the citizens may end up serving 25 years in jail.
Minister, our country is under attack by the evil, demonic powers of Satanism. Last week in KwaZulu-Natal a school principal stabbed his deputy at the back of his head for arriving late. We read of a teenage girl being kidnapped and gang-raped by a middle-aged man and four minors. An eight- year-old girl was dragged by a 15-year-old boy into a nearby sugarcane field, raped, strangled and left to die.
We demand the arm of the law to deal harshly with these cases. On Sunday Bishop Desmond Tutu wrote and I quote:
Many South Africans are feeling a profound sense of anxiety - and, increasingly, disillusionment - over the moral and spiritual wellbeing of the nation.
Where are we going with all of this? Is this an indication that citizens can't cope anymore due to unfulfilled promises? As they get more and more frustrated and stressed, the levels of intolerance rises uncontrollably.
He further wrote, and I quote:
It seems that every time one picks up a newspaper or switches on the television, there are new stories of corruption in government; of nasty competitiveness the leadership positions in the ruling party; of a crisis in education; of so-called service delivery protests that regularly turn destructive; of the most horrendous incidents of violent crime ... Most alarmingly, we have evolved over the 18 years of our democracy from an organised nation ...
[Time expired.]
I thank you.
Before I call the other speaker, hon members, can we listen to the speakers. [Interjections.] No, on both sides. Can we all listen to the speakers? Let us maintain order, please.
Hon Chairperson, hon Minister Bathabile Dlamini, hon Ministers and Deputy Ministers, fellow Members of Parliament, MECs present in this House, especially my MEC from the Eastern Cape, Pemmy Majodina, management and staff of the department, ladies and gentlemen, as we mark 100 years of the selfless struggle, I would like to salute all heroes who served the African National Congress as its Presidents since 1912 to date. The centenary reminds us of the values, traditions and objectives that shaped and guided our movement throughout the history of our struggle. We are indeed saluting all the leaders of this glorious movement who brought us to where we are today.
The ANC-led government established the SA Social Security Agency, Sassa, in April 2006 to improve the quality of the Social Security Services. Sassa is rendering services to the most valuable members of our society, namely the elderly and people with disabilities and children.
Today, over 15,8 million South Africans of different ages and races are benefiting from the social assistance programme. The huge demand for SA Social Security Agency, Sassa's, services has resulted in numerous service delivery challenges, namely fraud and corruption, overcrowding at service offices and paypoints, and deductions of grant funds by microlenders and insurance companies.
The major benefit is that, for the first time in the history of this country, social grant beneficiaries can now be paid anywhere. All South Africans can access social grants wherever they choose to live and at any moment in time. We hope that our people will not be labelled as "refugees" when they choose to access their social grants in the Western Cape. All South Africans are free to live anywhere they choose. Labelling people as "refugees" is a modernised version of the old swart gevaar mentality. [Applause.]
South Africans - I don't think, hon Waters, I'll be good anymore after my speech - have paid a hefty price for our current Constitution. We therefore have a duty to defend it from people who intentionally want to manipulate it in order to sabotage its noble objectives.
The SA Social Security Agency experienced a number of challenges in providing its services at coalface level, where it directly interacts with clients. The challenges are mainly encountered at the local offices and paypoints and they relate to noncompliance with the social security norms and standards due to staff shortages.
Despite the challenges facing Sassa, the agency has done tremendous work. The SA Social Security Agency has developed an integrated service delivery model, which was tabled before the Portfolio Committee on Social Development. I wish the hon Dudley was here to hear this because I saw her for the first time. I didn't even know that she is a member of this committee.
The said model is geared to address the following challenges, amongst others: long queues at services points; delays in the processing of applications; lack of access to the social assistance services; overcrowding at service points; lack of engagement with key stakeholders; lack of standardisation and uniformity; and fraud and corruption.
In addition, the infrastructure development project, which was introduced last year to improve conditions at local offices and paypoints across the country, has resulted in the significant improvement of certain service offices and paypoints. To this extent, 75 local offices were upgraded to meet the requirements of the new standardised application process.
Improvements in this regard included changing of the office layout, installation of Information and Communications Technology, ICT, infrastructure, branding, and the provision of adequate seating space for applicants and beneficiaries. Three hundred and seventy paypoints have been upgraded in all provinces. As Members of Parliament, we still have to do more oversight work with part-focus on monitoring and evaluation.
As this committee, we would like to express our appreciation for the good work done by the chief executive officer, CEO, of Sassa and her staff, under the capable political guidance of our Minister, Bathabile Dlamini. [Applause.]
The agency must intensify the fight against fraud and corruption, as we still have some staff members who are committing fraud in certain provinces. The SA Social Security Agency's continued strengthening of its early fraud detection and prevention strategies will assist in the fight.
The manual social grant administration system has adversely contributed to the fraud and corruption facing the social assistance programme in our country, long turnaround times for the processing of applications and poor record management.
Mhlekazi obekekileyo, ndicela uqwalasele intlungu yokuxhatshazwa kwabantu, ingakumbi abadala, ngoomatshonisa noomasingcwabane ababoleka baphinde batsale imali ngenjongo yokuzityebisa. Abantu bethu bahlawula izintywenka zeemali iminyaka emininzi, baze bathi bakusweleka bahlawulwe umnqongo wewaka weerandi. Ngubani ongangcwatywa ngewaka leerandi kule mihla siphila kuyo?
Iwaka leerandi lingaphantsi nakwisibonelelo urhulumente asinika abantu abadala. Urhulumente makayilwe iphele tu intlungu yokuxhatshazwa kwabantu ngabantu abangoohlohlesakhe boomatshonisa noomasingcwabane.
Ndingayanga kude, Mhlalingaphambili, ndinesicelo endinaso sokuba uqabane uWaters ... (Translation of isiXhosa paragraphs follows.)
[Hon Sir, I would like you to look carefully at the exploitation of our people, especially the elderly who are being exploited by loan sharks and the local funeral schemes that want to enrich themselves by lending them money, which is paid back with interest. Our people pay huge amounts of money for years and years, and get paid only one thousand rand when they die. What funeral can cost one thousand rand nowadays?
One thousand is even less than the pension grant paid to the pensioners by government. Government must fight against and eradicate this exploitation of people by those who are concerned only with their comfort, the loan sharks and local funeral schemes.
Without going any further, Chairperson, I request that comrade Waters ...]
Oh! My G**! [Laughter.] Hon Waters, after you have told me that I'm good, I wish you had told me that in the committee. [Interjections.]
Order! Please, order!
MRS P TSHWETE: In the first place, I wouldn't be happy to be told by you that I'm good. I know that you hate the chairperson. [Interjections.] You hate the chairperson because you want to do what you want in the committee and he doesn't allow that, unfortunately. [Interjections.]
We hate corruption!
I want to tell you that the DA thinks that they are in a federal state. You are not in a federal state. [Interjections.]
If you talk about substance abuse ...
... kudala iipilisi zisenziwa apha eKapa, nenza ntoni ngalo nto? [...Cape Town has long been producing drugs, what are you doing about that?]
You are now talking about substance abuse and that the government is not doing anything about it. Where are you? Where do you stay? Are you not in South Africa? What are you doing as the DA? [Interjections.] In fact, the reason for that is that the DA was established only a few years ago, although we acknowledge that some of them were in the National Party and Democratic Party ...
... nisafuna, asifuni thina kuba sine-100 leminyaka sikhona. Ngoku nisahambe nizikhangela ukuba niphi. [... you are still looking, we are not looking anymore because we have been in existence for 100 years. Now you are wandering where you are.] [Interjections.]
We have existed for 100 years in this country.
Look at where you are now!
You are critical of everything. There is nothing that you say is right or good or "Tighten up here". Nothing you say is right. Everything that you say is destructive. Thank you, Minister, for the vocabulary. [Interjections.]
It's corruption!
Destructive!
Corrupt, corrupt, corrupt!
The thing is, corruption ...
Order! Order, order please.
... urhwaphilizo siyaluveza. Yiyo lo nto nilubonayo namhlanje. Silubeka etafileni luxoxwe. Akufani nela xesha lakudala apho sasiculelwa ngooBotha esingabaziyo ababengena kwilokishi zethu kuthiwe masibajayivele sibe singabazi nokubazi.
Namhlanje siyaxelelwa ngayo yonke into yokuba nanku ubani wenze urhwaphiliso olu nje ... (Translation of isiXhosa paragraphs follows.)
[Mrs P TSHWETE: ... we expose corruption. That is why you can see it today. We table and discuss about it. This is nothing like the olden days when we were under the leadership of Botha and the like whom we didn't even know, who were controlling our townships and we were told that we must obey them whereas we did not even know them.
Nowadays we are informed about everything, that here is so and so doing this kind of corruption ...]
... and the SA Social Security Agency is dealing with staff members who are involved in corruption. What are you doing, you, the DA, except criticising all the time? You know, the report you talked about on corruption ...
Hon member, you have two minutes left.
MS P TSHWETE: ... the member behind me, the hon Phathekile, told me that if the matter is in court, it's sub judice. So, I know now ... [Laughter.].
Ndiyayazi ukuba ... [I know that ...]
It's sub judice. It's in court. [Laughter.] ...
Aniyazi nina loo nto. [You don't know that.]
So, you must conduct proper research because in the ANC we have so many advocates and lawyers, they tell us. [Laughter.] So, if you are short of lawyers come to us, we will tell you. [Interjections.] [Applause.]
Malibongwe! [Praise!]
The last thing ... [Interjections.]
Order! Order, order!
... that I would like to say is that it is a pity that ... [Interjections.]
Mama uGcume, enkosi ngokusixhasa nawe mama uMakhuba nangona ingengomsebenzi wam lowo ingokaMphathiswa, kodwa uMphathiswa ... [Mama Gcume and mama Makhuba thank you for your support although that is not my duty, the hon Minister is supposed to do that, but the hon Minister ...]
Comrade Dudley, I'm so worried that you are not here, but let me speak to this ... [Interjections.]
The hon Dudley!
Oh! Kaloku mna ndiqhele amaqabane hayi aba bantu. [You will understand that I am familiar with comrades, not these people.] [Laughter.]
The hon Dudley is not a member of this committee. I never saw her once in my committee.
Akayazi ukuba sithetha ngantoni. Kuza kufuneka ukuba ndimbize ndimdibanise nabaphathi bethu, simxelele ngamanyathelo ale komiti kuba sesihambe umgama omde kwaye usibuyisela umva; ngoku uza kusibhudisa. [Kwahlekwa.] (Translation of isiXhosa paragraph follows.)
[She doesn't know what we are talking about. I will have to call her to a meeting with our leaders, and tell her about the initiatives of this committee because we have come a long way and she is taking us backwards; she will confuse us.] The last thing I would like to say ... [Interjections.] Hon Dudley, you are talking about untrained community health workers. That's my field. The community health workers are not going to be trained randomly. We must have a curriculum which is uniform to all provinces. We need a uniform curriculum that is going to address all the challenges. [Interjections.]
Lastly, I support the Budget Vote. Thank you. [Time expired.] [Applause.]
Chairperson, before I get excited ...
Oh, please don't! [Laughter.]
... I must acknowledge the presence of the MECs from almost all the provinces. The MEC from the Eastern Cape, hon Pemmy Majodina, MEC Mokomela-Mothibi from the North West [Applause], MEC Botes from the Northern Cape, MEC Fritz from the Western Cape, MEC Dr Norman Mabasa from Limpopo, MEC Thusi from KwaZulu-Natal, and I can see that MEC Mayathula is gone.
Firstly, let me also thank all the contributions and accept those criticisms that are constructive. I have a few issues that I would like to raise. Firstly, some of the issues that the DA has been raising are issues that have been asked from the department and we have responded to those questions, and you are saying them as they are. I really think that we need innovation. We need new ideas; we need constructive ideas. So repeating things that we have said to you are our challenges is not going to take us forward. So let's move a bit forward.
So, one other thing ... you want to talk about the DA government. You know, there are things that are happening here that I have been following - the issue of staffing in the department here in the province. There is a programme called "Fit for purpose" that our people have interpreted as, that for purpose. They are translating it like that because Africans are replaced by white people. [Interjections.]
I think we should look into that because, right now in the department in the province, there are three Africans and three other groups and then nine whites at senior management staff level. [Interjections.]
I have been doing a follow-up. If there are opportunities for everyone, let there be opportunities for everyone.
And then, the issue of social workers ... We can't just wait and not implement the Children's Act because they are not in our social workers. Otherwise we won't go and work.
Furthermore, we have been trying ... do you know that while we try to look at things, you just come up and destroy all that?
The MEC in the last Minmec raised the issue of interns; that qualified social workers in the province are going to be interns. You know, we were still looking into the possibility of that, but now you are forcing us to say this is in contrast with working conditions. You can't be a professional social worker, go to school, and be made an intern thereafter. This is against workers' rights.
Now, because you are not raising these issues or not discussing in good faith, we have to raise these issues here. So, these are qualified professionals and you want to employ them as interns and this is going to disillusion social workers. We are saying social work is a scarce skill, and we have asked for funding from Treasury. They are going to think that we are joking because the same thing that we are prioritising, you are turning it into something else.
The advice centres they have played a role in keeping communities together. You are saying those offices are not important. You have closed them, and they were helping people to understand their rights - both horizontal and vertical rights. They are closed now, and we know that our people from rural areas townships, and farming areas do not understand their rights? Is that not a loss? [Interjections.]
I don't want to talk a lot about substance abuse. [Interjections.]
Order, please! Order! [Interjections.]
Order, hon members, please! [Interjections.]
Where is this? [Interjections.]
Hon members, order! And ... [Interjections.] Hon members, order!
I've lost some of my speaking time now.
I see that! [Laughter.] Hon members, could we refrain from throwing these insulting words around, please! Can we stop doing that? Can we behave like the hon members that we are? Hon Minister, continue. I sense that you lost time, yes.
Last year, we visited a number of areas here in the Western Cape when we were dealing with or mobilising around substance abuse. Funding has been taken from NGOs in black areas. Why has it been taken? [Interjections.] Yes, they are black areas. We've been to those areas. I was there, and yes, it is happening. [Interjections.] It is happening; I was there. [Interjections.]
You are misleading this House.
We are being misled if it is you. [Interjections.] I am being misled if it is you.
Hon Minister, can you please take your seat? [Interjections.] I think some of us are doing this deliberately, and I am asking for the last time for you to please be orderly. Otherwise I am going to make a request to the Speaker, because you are doing some of these things deliberately. On both sides. I can hear from both sides that it is being done deliberately. The Minister is responding. I thought this was an occasion for the Minister to respond so that we hear what the Minister is saying about the issues we were raising. Why are we doing this? Why are we doing this?
Because she's blind.
Hon Minister, please continue.
Chairperson, I rise on a point of order: We are having this commotion because if you make an allegation, if you say something then you to substantiate it. That is why you have a problem. If you say something, then you need to substantiate it. If you can't substantiate it, don't say it.
That is not a point of order.
Chairperson, I rise on a point of order: I think it is high time the members on the other side refrained from this issue of ... [Inaudible.]
Please, that is not a point of order.
Sit down! Bad start!
Hon Minister, please continue.
If you are so concerned about the children, why did you not pay for caregivers for the ECD conference? We had to scrape for the money for caregivers to attend the conference in the Eastern Cape.
The Eastern Cape?
Yes, in the Eastern Cape. It was a national conference.
G**, of all places!
Poor people who migrate across the country do so for many reasons. We cannot, in the year 2012, go back to policies that seek to block migration - as was the case under apartheid.
We cannot in the year 2012 go back to policies that seek to block migration as it was in the case under apartheid. The SA Social Security Agency, Sassa, will pay people wherever they are. I hope that people who moved to the Western Cape will not be called refugees. [Applause.]
Therefore we must stop stigmatising people and not use racist and demeaning words. We should not label our people. I hope you are going to support us in fighting all forms of discrimination and stigmatisation.
Regarding the issue of the Child Protection Register, we have said on a number of occasions that in this country there is loss. Precedence has been set in other countries that when you convict a person you have to go through the courts again. You have to follow a process before you declare a person as unfit to work with children. So, it is also not proper for us to come here and make noises when we know that there are processes that we all agreed to.
You have two minutes, hon Minister.
Now I don't want to go to the debates regarding the Child Support Grant creating a dependency. We've brought 50 children living in child-headed households from all provinces here. You can talk to them about the impact of the support grant. This is about protection.
One other thing is that next week we will be launching a report on the impact of child support in South Africa. We hope that you will be part of that because we have done random studies on children from 10 years of age from five provinces. Therefore, next week we will hear the outcome of the report. Nevertheless, research indicates that children who receive the grant in their first two years of life show improvements in their height compared to those who access the grant later.
Since children's cognitive development depends on receiving adequate nutrition in the first few years, the research proves that the Child Support Grant is valued as a tool for investing in a child's future, human capital development and therefore our country's future. So, this is not about wasting money, it is responding to the challenges and demands of ordinary people. Those challenges do not affect them only, they affect the whole country.
We have already discussed other issues. With regards to HIV and Aids, the UNAIDS has agreed that South Africa is one of the leading countries when it comes to the fight against HIV and Aids. So, we can't say that our programme is not working. What is good is that the ANC-led government has led the global community to explicitly acknowledge that all people, including the affected groups, such as men who have sex with other men, people who inject drugs and sex workers, need to access treatment, care and support. I thank you. [Time expired.]
House Chairperson, we have a cocktail at Marks Building. We would like to invite all Members of Parliament to join us so that they can have an opportunity to talk with vulnerable children. Thank you very much. [Applause.]
Thank you, hon Minister. Before we conclude the debate, I am requested to say that there is a register which is missing here. Whoever has that register can bring it to me. Thank you. There is the register.
Debate concluded.