report
27 September 2007
The Minister of Social Development, Zola Skweyiya tabled the annual report
of the Department of Social Development, (DSD) in Parliament today, 27
September 2007.
The Department of Social Development (DSD) was allocated R62 382,425 billion
for all its programmes during the 2006/07 financial year and spent 99,4% of
it.
Over the last two years, the DSD underwent institutional transformation and
restructuring due to the establishment of the South African Social Security
Agency (Sassa).
"The year under review indicates that we made some progress towards
improving the living conditions of many South Africans. We have a
responsibility of providing a safety net to the poor to prevent them from
sliding into abject poverty and hardship," said Zola Skweyiya, Minister of
Social Development.
Social security
In recent years social assistance has expanded its coverage tremendously.
Currently, approximately 12,8 million beneficiaries receive social grants.
"South Africa has a large social assistance programme, necessitated by high
levels of poverty. Our Social Assistance programme will remain large as long as
high levels of structural unemployment, compounded by serious skills shortages,
persist," said Skweyiya.
The DSD released a discussion document on Linking Beneficiaries of Social
Grants to Economic Opportunities during the year under review. This is based on
the view that government cannot just provide grants and leave families and
individuals vulnerable in other respects. "The proposed framework provides for
measures to help qualifying able-bodied caregivers to find and retain
employment. The proposal will provide targeted employment assistance, including
direct job matching and community work, in line with the Expanded Public Works
Programme, to help able-bodied caregivers to develop skills. We believe that
promoting self-reliance and developing the potential of individuals is an
important component of our development efforts to help the poor and
marginalized groups," said Skweyiya.
Several studies were commissioned on the so-called perverse incentives of
social grants. The results of two phases of the reports were submitted to
Cabinet and the public, and generally dispelled the allegations that teenagers
fall pregnant to access grants, that children are fostered for the purpose of
the foster care grant and that people refrain from taking medication in order
to obtain the disability grant. Further research has been initiated in
collaboration with the University of Oxford on the allegation that social
grants create dependency.
Meanwhile, an amount of R22 million was disbursed to provide relief to 13
000 victims of disaster, and R3 million to organisations providing assistance
to victims of disaster. A decision was taken to devolve the social relief
function to the provinces and consultation has been initiated to take the
process forward.
The department provides care and support to orphans and other children made
vulnerable by HIV and AIDS and other circumstances. During the year under
review, 611 child care forums were established and are fully functional, whilst
co-ordinating structures are fully functional in six provinces with 123 in
districts. The forums have been established primarily to identify orphans and
vulnerable children in communities. The number will be increased in the
financial year 2007/08. The objective is that each community should have a
Child Care Forum. The Child Care Forums work hand in hand with social workers,
welfare organisations and other structures in the community to ensure that the
identified children get access to appropriate services.
The department established a number of community-based drop-in centres where
children are provided with meals before they go to school and are also given
lunch boxes. The caregivers at the drop-in centres also assist children from
child-headed households with homework, and involve them in life skills
programmes. The drop-in centres are not yet available in all districts in the
country but provinces are in the process of establishing them.
The National Development Agency (NDA), which also reports to the Minister of
Social Development, released its annual report last week. The NDA approved
funding of 95 projects amounting to R110,97 million. They also approved 20
projects worth R25,73 million for a two-year capacity building programme.
Enquiries:
Lakela Kaunda
Cell: 082 782 2575
Issued by: Department of Social Development
27 September 2007
