Department of Social Development Policy
and Budget Vote Speech for 2010/11 delivered by Hounourable MEC for Health and
Social Development, Ms DG Mahlangu, Mbombela
13 May 2010
Honourable Speaker
The Honourable Premier
Members of the Executive Council
Honourable members of the house
Distinguished Mayors
Your Excellency Chairperson of House of Traditional Leaders
And all traditional Leaders in the province present here
Esteemed guests
Leadership of Labour and Business
Management of the South African Social Security Agency
Management of the National Development Agency
NGO sector
Acting Head of Department Ms NL Mlangeni, Management of the Department of Social
Development and all its employees
All HODs present here
Members of the media
People of Mpumalanga
OGogo no Mkhulu abakhona ngaphakathi kwethu
Ladies and gentlemen
Honourable members the mother of twins is once more back.
I was on this podium on Tuesday presenting one of my babies and I am back today,
to present to this august house yet another critical of the two babies.
The world outlook has drastically changed in the recent
past. Increasingly mankind is faced with massive natural disasters that wreak a
lot of havoc in lives of many and have unimaginable interruption to daily
routines.
Besides these natural disasters, the recent economic
global meltdown reversed some important gains that were made in improving living
conditions of many people across the globe. Even in developed countries, we have
witnessed the cutting back on some important social security net guarantees,
leaving many people out in the cold, with dire consequences for generations to
come.
As the economies of the world slow down, their ability to
absorb or create new jobs is curtailed, meaning that many people especially the
youth who are economically active are left to fend for themselves
outside the formal economy, consequently many rely on state assistance
for their living.
It is in this context that the Department of Social
Department becomes critically important; in that it not only has a challenge to
maintain the usual clients who are mainly vulnerable groups, but also to assist
with the economic interventions especially for the youth. Arthur C. Clarke once
said, I quote “The only way to discover the limits of the possible is to venture
a little way past them to the impossible.” We need to
continue to venture this path in search for possible ways to better the lives of
our people.
The cohesion and stability of our country depends to a
large extent on our ability to create jobs and opportunities for the citizens
but more importantly on a security net system for many who are outside the
formal economic sector.
The mandate of this department is to build a humane and
caring society founded on sound principles of human solidarity, ubuntu and
common prosperity.
Solidarity is what has brought apartheid to its knees, so
it remains relevant even today that those who are in a better economic situation
should make a contribution even at individual level to assist those worse off.
Over the years we have progressively positioned social
development as an agent of social change and cohesion from historically being
known as a department of grants.
Institutional organisation and capacity
Honourable Speaker, in my maiden speech last year I
outlined key interventions that will take the department forward and deliver
better services to our people in the province. In addition, we committed to
improve our systems and processes and to also increase our capacity especially
at local level where service delivery takes place.
We have made commendable progress towards the improvement
of salary levels through the implementation of the Occupational Specific
Dispensation (OSD) for all Social Workers and have completed the regrading
process for our Community Development Practitioners.
In our commitment to fill all critical posts in the
Department, we have already filled and appointed 860 Social Workers and 203
Social Auxiliary Workers.
The appointment of Social Auxiliary Workers in particular
puts us in a better situation as it eases the case load on social workers,
thereby allowing them to focus on their core professional services.
In this financial year we will be filling all vacant
funded posts.
The development of our Human Resource Plan has been
completed. This will in no doubt assist us plan better going forward by ensuring
that we have human resources with the requisite skills and competencies where we
need them most.
Honourable Speaker, a thorny issue in this Department has
been the challenge we face that has led to our audit qualification, which was
our lack of proper asset management. The department has put
systems in place to ensure that the asset register is updated on a regular
basis.
In ensuring prudent financial management we have developed
and reviewed policies, trained our personnel and also improved on our systems
and processes.
The Risk and Fraud Unit is now operational and we have
developed a Risk Strategy informed by our risk register, which will be monitored
on a regular basis this financial year.
One of the ruling Party’s priorities is the fight against
crime and corruption. In this context, I have enlisted the services of the
Special Investigating Unit to deal with all cases of fraud and corruption in the
Department with speed. We want to send a very strong message both within and
outside the Department that government resources must be used solely for
purposes they were intended for.
We have further introduced a procurement system within
Supply Chain, which will assist us to deal with issues of corruption and to give
fair opportunities to all our credible service providers on a rotational basis.
Honourable Members, as you are aware that this is the year
of action, therefore our interventions have to be measured, monitored and
evaluated to assess if we are indeed delivering on our plans. We can only do
this if we constantly monitor and evaluate our performance.
Our plans to have the Monitoring and Evaluation Unit fully
functional are quite advanced, and this will improve our performance as a
Department.
Social Welfare Services
Honourable Speaker, let me highlight the key programmes
within the Department where most of the budget is allocated. The programmes are
carried out in partnership with our Not-for-Profit-Organisations (NPOs), and I
want to take this opportunity to extend our sincere appreciation for the
wonderful work done by most of the organisations on behalf of government in
places we cannot reach due to limited resources.
In September 2009 we had an NPO summit where NPOs were
afforded an opportunity to engage with the department on issues that affect them
in rendering services to our communities.
We have identified these areas which will inform our
service delivery improvement plan on a continuous basis.
One of the major challenges faced by our NPOs is the high
turn over of Social Workers. To retain Social Workers in the NPO sector, the
Department has considered an increment in the subsidy of their salaries to
ensure sustainable service delivery. This will be effective from October 2010 in
line with available resources the department has at its disposal.
We have developed monitoring tools to assist with regular
support to NPOs for immediate intervention where there are challenges. We are
indeed humbled by the commitment displayed by many NPOs who continue to make a
difference in the lives of our people.
Allow me to outline some of the key priorities within
Social Welfare that support the high level priorities as identified by our
government as well as legislative imperatives for Social Development.
Our contribution as a department in the realisation of the
high level priorities will be in the following sub-programmes parallel with
other programmes;
- Early Childhood Development (ECD)
- Foster care
- HIV and AIDS
- Substance Abuse
Early Childhood Development
Early childhood should never be considered as a privilege
but as a right for all children if they are to become better citizens who will
contribute positively in the creation of a humane and caring society.
We have therefore, with our sister departments,
re-affirmed this program as a crucial priority in this financial year and
beyond.
To demonstrate our commitment in the last financial year,
we funded 565 registered ECD centers at a rate of R11 per child, thus reaching
30 808 children. Of these ECD centers, 183 were strengthened in line with the
Expanded Public Works Programme through the provision of stipend and training of
ECD practitioners.
In this financial year, we will increase the number of
children funded at existing ECD centers focusing at the most deprived
municipalities.
The Department shall further extend funding to 191 new
centres to reach Eight 8 983 children.
Foster Care
Honourable Speaker you will recall that in the previous
financial year I reported to this House that we have a backlog of 17 000 foster
care cases, and I further said that our plan is to reduce this backlog by half.
Between April 2009 and March 2010 a total of 7 478
children were placed in foster care indicating a shortfall of just over a
thousand of our target. This Honourable Speaker is due to the number of cases
that had to go through court.
The case load is not static in that additional cases are
continuously reported, compounding the backlog. We will place 11 330 children in
foster care in this financial year.
In an attempt to strengthen services to children, a
Provincial Strategy on adoption will be developed. Awareness to
communities will be strengthened as one of the basket of services provided to
children who are found to be in need of care through the Children’s’ Court.
Honourable Speaker many children are denied the warmth of
family life due to a number of reasons. I hope that once we
finalise the Provincial Strategy on Adoption there will be a drive to encourage
our communities to open their doors and hearts and adopt children in need of
care as their own.
HIV and AIDS
Honourable speaker I have already in my presentation on
Tuesday alluded to the disastrous impact of HIV and AIDS especially as it
relates to children. More and more children are forced at an early stage to
assume a role of parenthood denying them an opportunity to grow as children due
the scourge of the pandemic.
The care and support of these children should clearly not
be relegated to the department alone, but as earlier mentioned we need community
partnerships where all of us in one way or another play a particular role.
We will continue to render psychosocial services to
children who are orphans and those heading households in partnership with our
Community Home Based Care (HCBC) organisations. In addition, we will fund 150
HCBC organisations.
Two Hundred and sixteen additional jobs will be created as
part of Phase two of the Expanded Public Works Programme in this
financial year and provide a stipend of R1 000 to caregivers.
A total of 221 caregivers will undergo accredited training
focusing on psychosocial support to children and families in need.
Substance abuse
Honourable Members, substance abuse is one area in our
province that requires urgent attention not only of government, but also that of
civil society. History will judge harshly on us for having done so little, when
the lives of so many of our youth are ruined due to substance abuse. Our
province is also experiencing a steady increase in drug use and trafficking.
In an endeavour to combat and prevent substance abuse and
dependence, the department has developed the Provincial Drug Master Plan which
has been approved by Cabinet.
This plan attempts to guide
service delivery in terms of appropriate intervention strategies through a
collaborative effort by all government departments.
In this financial year, The Plan will be communicated to
all stakeholders especially the Municipalities for proper planning and full
implementation in the next financial 2011/12. A budget of R18 409 million is
allocated for substance abuse program.
Older persons
Somlomo, kufanele ukuthi sibahloniphe oGogo no Mkhulu
bethu abalwa, behluphekela inkululeko yethu. Ngakho-ke sekuyisikhathi sethu
sokuthi sibaphathe kahle, sikwazi nokuhlangabezana nezidingo zabo. Sifanele
ukukwenza lokhu ngoba sazi kamhlophe ukuthi babamba iqhaza emindenini
nasemiphakathini yethu. Kufanele sifake umfutho, ukuze bakhule, bephilile
bengenazo izinkinga ezibakhathazayo. Okubalulekile esizobhekana nakho ngqo,
ukwenza ukuthi uMqulu Wabantu Abadala (Older Persons Charter) ugcizelelwe.
LoMqulu uqonde ukuvikela amalungelo abo njengoba ekuMthetho-Sisekelo Wezwe
lakithi, nanjengoba ugcizelelwe kuMqulu KaMhlabuhlangene (UN Resolution Number
46 of 1991).
Lokhu kuzonikeza ulwazi ikakhulu ngoba sizoqeqesha
izinkhlangano ezingu 150 zabantu abadala ngaloMqulu. Sizosebenzisa imali engu
R28 million ekusizeni izinhlangano ezingama NPOs ukuze zikwazi ukusiza o Gogo no
Mkhulu ukuze baphatheke kahle uma beqhubeka bekhula.
Viva bo Gogo no Mkhulu-Viva.
Phansi ngabahlukumeza oGogo no Mkhulu-Phansi
Disability
Hounarable Speaker, the rights of persons with
disabilities are constitutional rights and cannot be ignored. In the previous
financial year, we provided care and subsidies to 465 people with disabilities
in residential facilities and further reached 1 645 persons with disabilities
through services rendered by Social Workers
We will spend over R26 million to promote the wellbeing,
independent living, socioeconomic participation and protection of persons with
disabilities; and will intensify awareness campaigns on disability issues.
Training on disability mainstreaming to officials including senior managers as
well as service providers will be conducted during the current financial year.
Families
Families are without doubt a foundation of society. The
prosperity and cohesion of society depend on strong families, rooted in sound
values of Ubuntu, solidarity, care and support, love and respect.
May I indicate that on 15 May each year we celebrate
International Family Day and will celebrate this with the Minister of Social
Development Mme Ednar Molewa this Saturday in Nokaneng at Dr JS Moroka
Municipality.
We will continue to strengthen families through positive
values and family preservation programmes.
Victim Empowerment Programme
Honourable Speaker some of our communities and our
families are no longer safe havens. Whereas, historically family or home was
considered the safest place, it is increasingly becoming hell for more and more
people especially for children, people with disabilities and women.
More and more women and children experience abuse at the
hands of people who are supposed to offer ultimate protection. Prevention of
abuse requires a collective effort as it happened mostly behind close doors and
in many situations victims are hesitant to report it.
Let us remember that abuse takes many forms and is not
always explicit. It can take a form of economic abuse where victims depend on
the perpetrator for survival and will endure whatever abuse for this reason.
We are working closely with our NPOs and other government
departments to ensure that victims of crime are safe and reunited with their
families after appropriate interventions.
In an attempt to curb the gender based violence the
department will implement the men and boys gender based violence prevention
programmes and further strengthen the One Stop victim empowerment centers and
shelters. In strengthening this programme, the department entered in partnership
with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime through the National
Department (UNODC). In the financial year 2009/10 an amount of One Million and
R1,9 million was granted to Four NPOs to strengthen services rendered to victims
of crime and gender based violence. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime
(UNODC) has further invested in training and awareness campaigns. Their support
is highly appreciated.
Crime prevention and support
The promulgation of the Child Justice Act in April 2010,
Honourable Speaker, should be welcomed as it spells a new era in the protection
of children in our country.
To contribute to the reduction of crime, we will in
collaboration with other stakeholders conduct awareness campaigns on crime and
human trafficking, particularly with the advent of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Our
target this financial year is to reach 1 968 children in conflict with the law
and 1 964 children participating in diversion programmes.
2010 FIFA World Cup
As part of the processes towards ensuring that appropriate
organisational and operational measures are in place for integrated social
welfare services during the 2010 FIFA World Cup, we have established a task team
to work closely with other departments and NPOs to ensure that issues of care
and protection for children and other vulnerable groups are not compromised. We
have also developed a departmental plan on activities to be
undertaken in preparation for and during the World Cup.
These activities include raising awareness
to highlight issues of children’s rights and
responsibilities, child trafficking, positive parenting as well as creating
awareness on prevention programmes available in communities. Our main targets
are children and other vulnerable groups. Social
workers will be deployed at Public Viewing Areas, Mbombela Stadium and Fern Fest
to render the necessary services.
Community development
Youth development
Honourable Speaker 2010 has been declared the
International Year of the Youth. This calls upon all of us to contribute
meaningfully to Youth programmes.
During my engagements with the NPOs as well as the recent
Cabinet Outreach programs, it became evident that most of our young people are
at home without jobs and the requisite skills to find employment.
In the last financial year, as a contribution to young
people, the department spent R11 065 million to fund 21 youth Centers rendering
youth development services within communities and 13 economic empowerment
projects.
We have planned to support 36 youth cadres in this
financial year at the cost of R15 886 million.
In 2008 we initiated the Masupatsela Youth Pioneer
Programme. This programme targets unemployed youth, through skills development
and linking them to sustainable opportunities.
The programme is also meant to promote activism,
patriotism, social cohesion and nation building. There are 319 youth enrolled
and will complete their three year training in this financial year.
A total budget of R14 6 million will be set aside for this
purpose.
In addition, we will spend over R4 million to train 222
youth who will be recruited to participate in the National Youth Service
Programme. They will be exposed to a skills development programme that will give
them an opportunity to acquire an accredited qualification at the end of 18
months. The young people will continue to receive a monthly stipend of R1 500.
Sustainable livelihoods
Honourable speaker, in line with the priorities identified
for this term of office, we will support the Provincial Comprehensive Rural
Development Strategy.
We are working closely with the Department of Agriculture,
Rural Development and Land Administration in this regard.
At an operational level, there is a considerable scope of
aligning the work done in the War-on-Poverty campaign and the Rural Development
Strategy.
We will spend over R7 million to support 45 sustainable
livelihoods projects mainly in Nkomazi, Bushbuckridge, Dr JS Moroka, Thembisile
Hani, Albert Luthuli, Mkhondo and Pixley ka Seme. The projects will focus on
poor and vulnerable communities in the Province.
The War on Poverty Campaign will focus on ensuring that
all the 17 identified wards are completely profiled before identification of
other deprived wards. The National Integrated Social Information System (NISIS)
is up and running and the profiles have been captured to be accessed by
departments who will then intervene in the households.
The year 2010/11 has been declared as the year of service
provision in War on Poverty campaign; therefore in all the profiled households,
all relevant departments are expected to continuously render appropriate
services and report on progress accordingly. We will spend over R5 million for
the co-ordination of the War-on-Poverty Campaign.
Institutional capacity building and support
Honourable Speaker, 37% of our budget goes to the support
and funding of NPOs and community development projects. These NPOs make an
enormous contribution to the lives of our people, especially in rural areas.
We are however concerned about their viability and
capacity for effective project management and financial management. We have
developed monitoring tools for all programmes to ensure that all funded NPOs
comply in terms of the Service Level Agreement and Norms and Standards.
In this financial year, we will spend over R2 million in
intensifying our programmes to capacitate 200 NPOs in governance, project and
financial management as well as in their respective core business.
Infrastructure
Most of our service centers were built in towns away from
the people who need the services most. To redress this state of affairs, we have
identified infrastructure as priority to ensure that our people access services
close to where they live.
Our progress in building new offices has not been
satisfactory. Eight out of the 15 office blocks that we planned to be built in
the previous financial year have been completed and they are:
- Hluvukani –
Bushbuckridge Municipality
- Zoeknog - Bushbuckridge
- Mkobola - Thembisile
Hani
- Msogwaba - Mbombela
- Moloto - Thembisile Hani
- Ka-Majika - Mbombela
- Simile - Thaba
Chweu
- Jerusalem - Mbombela
We will continue with the remaining projects in the
current financial year.
An amount of R66 million has been set aside to complete
the remaining projects in the following areas:
- Balfour - Dipaleseng
- Bethal - Goven Mbeki
- Volsrust – Pixley Isaka Ka Seme
- Carolina – Albert Luthuli and
- Gert Sibande District offices
- Marapyane – Dr JS Moroka
- Kamaqhekeza - Nkomazi
Honourable Speaker allow me to present to this august
House and to further request the House to approve the budget of the department
of Social Development Vote 12 which is R881 447 000.
Programme 1: Administration
R246 587 000
This programme provides policy direction, overall
strategic leadership of the whole department and monitoring and evaluation.
Programme 2: Social Welfare R516 801 000
This programme provides integrated developmental social
welfare services to the poor and vulnerable in partnership with stakeholders and
civil society organisations.
Programme 3: Development and Research
R118 059 000
This programme provides sustainable development programmes
which facilitate empowerment of communities as well as information towards the
implementation of the National Population Policy.
Allow me also as I close, to thank all our stakeholders
without whom our work would be very difficult; our NPOs, SASSA, NDA, HOME
AFFAIRS and many home based carers in our communities.
Again to thank the Acting Head of Department for her
sterling and courageous leadership and spirit of unity in the department,
Managements and all our employees for their continued service
to the people of our province. My special thanks go also to all members of the
portfolio Committee on Health and Social Development led by Honorable P Ngobeni,
for their continuous guidance.
I once again thank the support of our Premier Honourable
DD Mabuza and my colleagues in the Executive council and my family for their
valued support.
South Africa will not be the same after the FIFA World
Cup. We have an opportunity to use the platform created by hosting this
prestigious event to put our country on a new road map. This new road map should
be guided by a prevailing atmosphere of solidarity, cohesion, patriotism and
loyalty to our country, its people and heritage. We have a real opportunity to
build a true humane and caring society. As Maharishi Mahesh Yogi puts it, the
secret of success in business is creativity. Let us all get creative and make
South Africa a better country.
Lets us all take part, siyanakekela.
Feel it, it is here.
Kea Leboga.
Ngiyathokoza
