Programme and One Stop Centre in Greytown
18 June 2007
The Minister of Social Development, Dr Zola Skweyiya, will on 21 June visit
Ngome Village in Greytown, KwaZulu-Natal to launch an Intensive
Technology-Driven Social Grants Outreach Programme to cover the rural areas of
KwaZulu-Natal and a one stop centre bringing services to the people.
Sassa is currently engaged in a programme to target remote areas, for
intensive grants registration and integrated service delivery. The purpose is
to deepen the reach of government's poverty reduction programmes in rural and
remote areas.
"There are hundreds of eligible people who do not access social grants
because they live in remote rural areas and it is difficult for them to travel
to town to apply. Through our mobile trucks and the use of modern technology,
we are now able to register them where they live. They are also able to hear
the outcome of their applications in one day," said Minister Skweyiya.
Dr Skweyiya will be joined at the event by the MEC for Social Welfare and
Population Development, Mr Meshack Hadebe. The people of Ngome requested
through Inkosi Zondi, the erection of a one stop centre providing government
services such as those of home affairs, social development and others. The day
will see the turning of the sod at a site provided by the traditional
authority, for the building of the centre.
"The day will ensure that we provide integrated services to people. We are
sending out a message that no matter where you live, government services can
and will come to you," said MEC Hadebe.
The event will begin at 09h00 at the Ngome Village in Greytown.
Background info
The Sassa outreach programme has yielded remarkable results in the Eastern
Cape where it began.
The agency deployed eight mobile vehicles in the Alfred Nzo Municipality in
the Eastern Cape for two weeks. Integrated services that were provided included
the following:
* Social Development: provided social workers and assisted with foster care
and social relief of distress applications
* Home Affairs: assisted with identity documents, birth certificates and death
certificates
* Education: provided school extract reports
* Health: issues road to health cards for children and provided medical doctors
for disability and care dependency grant applications
* Justice: is expected to set up children's courts during the campaign to
ensure appointment of foster care guardians
* South African Police Services (SAPS): provided certification services and
affidavits.
The Eastern Cape intervention resulted in approximately 3 000 beneficiaries
receiving the child support grant, old age grants and social relief of
distress. Out of the figure, 1 940 were children who were not receiving social
assistance benefits in the past.
RSVP: Paseka Letsatsi on 082 883 9969 or Jonas Mashigo on 012 312 7793 or
082 615 1478.
Enquiries:
Lakela Kaunda
Cell: 082 782 2575
Issued by: Department of Social Development
18 June 2007
