Z Skweyiya to launch Charlotte Maxeke Collaboration in of Economics of
Social Protection, 16 Jan

12 January 2006

The Department of Social Development and the University of Pretoria have
joined forces to respond to the challenge of social policy development in the
country by establishing the Charlotte Maxeke Collaboration in the Economics of
Social Protection.

The objectives of the Collaboration are to generate research, provide
training and develop expertise, and stimulate critical debate in the field of
the Economics of Social Protection.

The initiative will be officially launched on Monday, 16 January 2006, by
the Minister of Social Development, Dr Zola Skweyiya and Prof Calie Pistorius,
Vice Chancellor and Principal of the University of Pretoria.

Issues of social protection are a vital concern in any society because they
encompass protecting people against all manner of contingencies and risks;
ensuring access to basic needs; and building social cohesion and solidarity.
They are also of importance because they have substantial financial and
economic implications for individuals, community groupings, business
enterprises, and governments.

There are two predominant sub-categories of social protection - social
assistance, which is non-contributory such as the social grants, and social
insurance, which is financed by contributions, such as the unemployment
insurance fund.

The Collaboration is named after the late Charlotte Maxeke, a pioneer in
both the education and social welfare arenas in South Africa. “We are proud to
name the Collaboration in honour of Ms Maxeke, one of the icons of the
liberation movement in our country, and a symbol of academic achievement and
excellence. Throughout her working life, both in theory and practice, Charlotte
Maxeke exemplified much of what we intend to accomplish by working with the
University of Pretoria in this area,” said Minister Skweyiya.

The Deputy President of the African National Congress (ANC) Women’s League,
Mavivi Myakayaka-Manzini will also address the launch in honour of Ms
Maxeke.

Minister Skweyiya added: “The long-term objective of the Collaboration is to
produce policy analysis and implementation capacity that will contribute to the
achievement of government’s overall goal of fighting poverty through growing
the economy and ensuring the inclusion of the historically marginalised. The
Collaboration is in line with government’s objectives of building State
capacity and will enable public servants at all levels of government to respond
effectively to the challenges of social transformation. In the long run work
undertaken in the Collaboration will reduce dependence on social
assistance.”

With respect to the national and provincial departments of Social
Development, the Collaboration will:
* Enhance the capacity of the departments to make evidence based inputs into
strategic policy decision-making.
* Augment existing competencies in social security policy, social welfare
policy, and social policy analysis, with competencies in economics, welfare
economics, and the financing of social security.
The University of Pretoria’s Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences which
will run the programme is the largest in the University, with approximately 9
000 registered students.

Prof Calie Pistorius, Vice Chancellor and Principal of the University said:
“The Faculty strives to strengthen its position as a leading institution in the
fields of economic, financial and management sciences by continuously improving
its academic and research excellence. At the same time the Faculty remains
committed to delivering not only competent, but also creative, responsible and
productive citizens.”

The Collaboration will target middle and senior managers in the public
sector, academics and students in higher learning institutions, public
representatives and representatives of international organisations.

With respect to the public sector, over the next two years the collaboration
will result in the training a total of 120 participants: 100 at the
undergraduate degree level, 15 at the Honours degree level, and five at the
Masters Degree level.

The Collaboration will be launched at 9:00 at the Law Auditorium, University
of Pretoria, Hatfield.

Enquiries:
Lakela Kaunda
Tel: (012) 312 7653
Cell: 082 782 2575

Issued by: Department of Social Development
12 January 2006