As the world prepares to celebrate International Day for Families on May 15, the Minister of Social Development, Ms Bathabile Dlamini, has called on South Africans to promote and protect the family unit as a way of fighting social challenges facing the country.
International Day for Families was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), in its resolution 47/237 of 20 September 1993, to be on 15 May annually. This was a response to changing social and economic structures, which have affected and still affect the structure and stability of family units in many regions of the globe.
The UN World Summit on Social Development held in Copenhagen, Denmark in 1995, noted that families in the whole world faced numerous challenges, including crime, HIV and AIDS, moral degeneration, violence against vulnerable family members, poverty and youth unemployment, to mention a few. Such challenges pose the danger of making families dysfunctional.
“We call on South Africans to work hard to re-establish the family unit in society. Many social challenges in South Africa are the result of either weak family systems or non-existent families, altogether. The family is facing a fundamental crisis, which needs to be remedied immediately because the family is the first line of defence to our social challenges,” urged Minister Dlamini.
The Department of Social Development has tabled the White Paper on Families through which it puts forward proposals on how South African families should be supported in order to flourish and function optimally.
The White Paper defines the family as a societal group that is related by blood (kinship), adoption, foster care or the ties of marriage (civil, customary or religious), civil union or cohabitation, and go beyond a particular physical residence.
The White Paper views the family as a key development imperative and seeks to mainstream family issues into government-wide, policy-making initiatives in order to foster positive family well-being and overall socio-economic development in the country. It has three key objectives, namely:
- Enhance the socialising, caring, nurturing and supporting capabilities of families so that their members are able to contribute effectively to the overall development of the country;
- Empower families and their members by enabling them to identify, negotiate around, and maximize economic, labour market, and other opportunities available in the country; and
- Improve the capacities of families and their members to establish social interactions which make a meaningful contribution towards a sense of community, social cohesion and national solidarity.
“The White Paper calls for families to play a central role in the national development pursuits of the country and the building of a better South Africa. For this ideal to be realised, family life and the strengthening of the family should be promoted in the country,” explained Minister Dlamini.
Social assistance programmes for families living in poverty have been the cornerstone of the South African government’s support to families. This includes social grants such as the Old Age Grant as well as access to free education and primary health care for the poorest and the provision of free basic services to indigent members of our society.
There are currently over 16 million persons receiving social grants in South Africa. Of these, over eleven million are children, three million are senior citizens who receive the Old Age Grant and approximately 600 receive the War Veterans Grant. The government has also made it possible for older persons who care for their grandchildren or children in need of care to receive the Foster Care Grant.
During the next five years, the Department of Social Development will build on progress made in rolling out comprehensive social security to help families cope better with the challenges they face.
This includes increasing the supply of social service professionals – specifically social workers, social auxiliary workers, community development workers as well as child and youth care workers; working towards the introduction of mandatory cover for retirement, disability and survivor benefits; as well as taking forward policy discussions on proposals for a comprehensive social protection policy that ensures that no needy South African falls through the social security net.
The Department of Social Development will also, through the Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) on Gender-Based Violence as well as IMC on Alcohol and Substance Abuse, continue to drive programmes that promote a drug free society and where women and children are protected from violence.
The scourge of alcohol and substance abuse continues to ravage our communities, families and, particularly, our youth and in many instances goes hand in hand with dysfunctional family life, gender-based violence, crime and premature death.
“We will, therefore, continue tirelessly with the implementation of the National Drug Master Plan, which commits government and sectors of society to work together to reduce the demand and supply of illegal drugs through a wide range of coordinated action from national to local levels. We will also forge ahead with the implementation of our Action Plan against gender-based violence, working towards preventative interventions, efficient response mechanisms as well as adequate care and support for victims of violence,” said Minister Dlamini.
The department has already engaged a number of social partners – including faith-based organisations and traditional leaders - to partner with it in dealing with some of these challenges and restore the family to its rightful place in society.
Media inquiries:
Lumka Oliphant
Cell: 083 484 8067
Email: lumkao@dsd.gov.za
