The honourable speaker and deputy speaker of the legislature,
Premier of the Free State province
Honourable members of the legislature
Members of the House of Traditional Leaders
Leaders and representatives of civil society
Distinguished guests
Friends of the poor
Ladies and gentlemen
Honourable speaker
I am humbled by the opportunity to lead this exciting, yet challenging portfolio of MEC responsible for Social Development whose prime role is the attainment of a goal of building a caring society. While I am mindful of the critical nature and strategic importance of this role, I will not fall short of extending my gratitude to the African National Congress for demonstrating faith in me, and charging me with this responsibility.
Let me thank my predecessor the honourable Ouma Tsopo for her service to the province in ensuring that the poor people of the province have a share in the unfolding ANC promise. This is the promise of ‘a better life for all’.
We have just recently celebrated tata Madiba’s 91st birthday. This is an icon whose life of struggle and conquering of the unpleasant effects of oppression represents the triumph of the human spirit to restore human dignity and social justice. As we celebrate his undying spirit and lifetime commitment to save his people from the dehumanising effects of poverty, we remember his words when he said: “Overcoming poverty is not a gesture of charity, it is an act of justice, it is the protection of a fundamental human right, the right to dignity and a decent life. While poverty persists, there is no true freedom”.
Allow me to use this platform to remind each and every member of this audience of the crucial role that the Department of Social Development plays in the development of our communities. Before I lay down the much anticipated and comprehensive plan of the department, I wish to start by planting in you the seed that stands at the crux of our people’s wellbeing.
Motsamaisi wa dipuisano, mane Orangeville kgweding tsa ho feta mosuwe o betile ngwana wa dilemo tse 13 ya morutang. Ka Sontaha tsatsing la sabata, mosuwe o kopa ngwana ho tla ho yena, hore a tlo mothusa ka dithuto tsa hae, ka ha a bona a saletse morao. Ngwana o ya le tipatipa ho ya hae ho kopa nkgono, le ho lata dibuka hae, mosuwe a lo mothusa. Ha a fihla ha mosuwe, o fumana mofumahadi wa mosuwe a le siyo, mme mosuwe o nka ngwana a ya le yena kamoreng, a mo kwala molomo a mmeta. Ha a qeta a mofa toilet paper hore a ihlakole, ngwana wa hae, ya tshwanelang ho mo tshireletsa, ngwana ya sa tsebeng letho ka thobalano, ngwana ya senang matla a ho itwanela kapa hona ho itshireletsa sereng, ngwana ya tswang lapeng le futsanehileng.
Ha a qeta a mofa R10 hore a se bolelle mang kapa mang.
O tshwerwe o hanetswe ka bail, o swabisitse mofumahadi wa hae le batswadi ba hae. Re rapela hore bophelo ba hae bo felle tjhankaneng.
Beke fela kamora moo, motseng wa QwaQwa monna a hlobohana le moratuwa wa hae, a nka bana eleng Lebohang ya dilemo di tharo, le Amohelang ya lemo dinne a ya le bona thoteng a fihla a ba roba melala, a ba pata jwalo ka dintja. A re o batla ho utlwisa mma bona bohloko, bana ba senang molato, le yena o tjhankaneng ha re bua tjena.
Motsamaisi wa dipuisano:
* ho etsahetseng ka botho le tumelo eo re e tsebang ya hore ngwana wa hao ke wa ka?
* botho ba rona bo kae?
‘Setjhaba se sa kgathelleng bana ba sona se ya timelong’
Ke ka hoo lefapha le ikemiseditseng ho lwantsha tlhekefetso ya bana ka hohle hohle. Ke ka baka leo, R280 million eleng karolo ya tjhelete eo re tlo e sebedisang kgolong ya bana ba rona.
Re tlo bula mohala wa mahala moo re tlo etsang bonnete ba hore:
* bana bohle ba kopanang le mathatha ba re letsetse teng.
* batho bohle ba bonang bana ba dulang ba le bang hobane batswadi ba bona ba hlokahetse, ha ba re letsetse.
* bana bohle ba robalang ka tlala, ba hlokang diaparo tsa sekolo, ba re letsetse.
* bana bohle ba hlekefetswang ke nako ya hore mmoho re tshireletse bana ba rona. “Ntja pedi ha e hlolwe ke sebata”.
Nomoro ya mohala ke ena e latelang 086 000 2468. E tla qala ho sebetsa ho tloha ka la pele kgweding ya Phato lemong sona sena (1st August 2009). Ha ke bua le wena tjena, basebetsi ba kwetlisong ho etsa bonnete ba hore batle ba tsebe ho sebedisana le batho ka kakaretso. Jwale ke nako ya hore re sebetse mmoho. Ho sebe le ngwana ya robalang ka tlala hoba batswadi ba sa sebetse, Mopresidente Zuma o buile jwalo.
Motsamaisi wa dipuisano, selemong sena mogolo wa bana o nyolotswe ho tloha ho R220 ho fihla ho R240. Bana ba neng ba gola lemong sa 2008 ba 82 thousand, lemong sena ba 83 thousand. Rona re ikemiseditse ho thusa ho fihla lenaneng la 100 thousand, ke ka hoo re kopang mang kapa mang hore ha o bona kapa o tseba ngwana ya hlokang o re letsetse, nomorong e boletsweng. “Ha mmoho re ka tshireletsa bana ba rona.”
Di-creche selemong sa 2008 di ne di le 1 304. Selemong sena sa 2009 di nyolohetse ho 1 600. Ngwana selemong sa 2008 e ne e le R9 ka mong, selemong sena sa 2009 e tla ba R12 ka mong. Tjhelete eo re e filweng re tla etsa bonnete ba hore mesuwetsana ya rona e fumantshwe kwetliso e batsi. Tjhelete kaofela eo re e beileng bakeng sa lenane lena ke R280 million. Bana bona re tla etsa bonnete ba hore batla dula ha monate ka tlasa tshireletso ya ANC.
Motsamaisi wa dipuisano, re kopa batswadi hore bana ha ba kene di crèche ba ye dikolong. Batswadi ba nang le bana hlokomelang bana ba lona. Hopolang, ho na e malapa a qhalehang ka baka la ho hloka bana.
Motsamaisi wa dipuisano, re eleletswe le hore ho nale batswadi ba fumanang tjhelete ya bana, empa ba sebe le taba le bana, ba iketsa meriri, ba bang be tawa ka yona. Motho mang kapa mang a ka bonang ketso tsena tse hlokang boikarabelo a letsetse 086 000 2468. Rona re tla romela basebeletsi ba setjhaba ho tla e amoha ba jwalo, e fuwe motho ya tla hlokomelang ngwana eo. Setjhaba se sa hlokomeleng bana ba sona se ya timelong.
Honourable members, despite the significant strides we have made in providing social wage to our people, millions still do not have jobs, children and the elderly are still being abused. Inequality is still a major challenge, as it is we are amongst the highest in the world with 47 percent of our people living in poverty. There are still too many of our people living in conditions of abject poverty and squalor.
The ruling party’s manifesto is the only program that will effectively confront the challenges we face. The programmes outlined by the honourable President Jacob Zuma in his state of the nation address are aimed at ensuring that those who have not benefited from our economic growth become insiders and share in the prosperity. It is to these programmes that this budget vote speaks.
On social cohesion, the following are the programmes that will be implemented:
Substance Abuse, Prevention and Rehabilitation
* Design and implement integrated services for substance abuse, prevention, treatment and rehabilitation
* total allocation R3 156 million (Transfers, R8 808 million)
Victim Empowerment programme
* Design effective strategies to deal with violence against women and children, older persons and other vulnerable groups
* Total allocation R4 550 million (Transfers, R11 096 million)
Crime Prevention and Support
* Strengthen programmes in respect of children in conflict with the law and diversion programmes
* Capacity in terms of secure care centres 80 beds
* Total allocation R2 878 million (Transfers R20 084 million)
Institutional Capacity Building and Support
* To facilitate the development of institutional capacity for non profit organisations (NPOs) and emerging organisations and monitor and evaluate NPOs for compliance with agreements
* Total allocation R8 569 million
Poverty Alleviation
* Co-ordinate and align all anti-poverty programmes to maximise impact and avoid wastage and duplication
* Develop database of households living in poverty, identify and implement specific interventions
* Intensify the war on poverty to cover most deprived wards in the province
* Establish and finance community-based income generating projects prioritising unemployed, women and people with disabilities
* Total allocation R10 8 million (Transfers)
* Total allocation for sustainable livelihood programme R17 048 million
Older persons possess a wealth of experience and we can learn a lot from them. For this, they deserve to be recognised and respected. The government will always value the existence of the elderly within our society and we will strive to improve their lives.
This is one of the reasons we have decided to increase the grants which we pay through the South African Social Security Agency to our senior citizens. The old age grant was increased from R960 to R1 010. It is with great pleasure to indicate that for the first time, our elderly in the male category who are 61 and 62 years old will qualify to receive their grant this year.
Motsamaisi wa dipuisano, hopola hore boholo ba maqheku ke bona bo entseng hore re be mona mo re leng teng. Ke bona ba mamelletseng, ba utlwileng mathata a aparteiti. Ke bona ba neng ba rwalla disu, ba besa dipaola, ba kga metsi le dikgomo dilomong le didibeng. Ke bona ba neng ba fumanela bana malapeng, basa tsebe letho ka di-clinic. Ke bona ba hanetsweng ho ya dikolong ba tshwara ditonka maheising. Ke bona bo ntatemoholo ba neng ba tsoha ka hora ya bobedi hoseng ho ya masimong, patala ya bona ele mekotla ya poone. Heelang! ke ona maqheku a rona a neng a sa tsebe toilet, matlwana a bona e le thota, toiltet paper e le seqo.
Ke bona baholo ba rona baneng ba bitswa kafore le bobejaan. Tjhee di a bela, di a hlweba, madiba ho e psha a matala. Ke ka hoo le bona bare re tla dula re voutela ANC ho fihlela re siya lefatshe lena. Ke ka hoo re kopang bo ntatemoholo ba dilemo di 61 ho ya ingodisa, le bona hore ba fumane mokgolo wa bona. Lefapha le ntlanne, le hona le tswela pele ho etsa bonnete ba hore le tshehetsa mekgatlo ya maqheku a rona, le ho etsa bonnete ba hore mahae a maqheku a fumana tjhelete tse lekaneng. Hopola “setjhaba se sa kgathalleng maqheku a sona ha se na ho tseba moo se tswang le moo se yang.”
Empa re sana le di phephetso tseo re tshwanelang ho di lokisa tse jwalo ka:
* Maqheku a ntse a ema meleng e melelele ya megolo letshehare lohle, ho bata, ho tjhesa, pula dina.
* Ba bang ba be ba utswetswe le hona ho nkelwa ditjhelete tsa bona.
* Dibaka tseo ba gollang ho tsona tse ding hadina matlwana, mme batho ba baholo ba sokole ho ya matlwaneng, metsi a sebakana, ha ba tshireletseha
* Ho na le maqheku a rona a sa jeng tjhelete ya bona monate ke bo matjhonisa.
Lefapha le ile la kopana le South African Social Security Agency (SASSA ho ba kopa hore ka potlako batle ka leano le ka khutsufatsang mela ena hammoho le amang a mathata a maqheku a rona a kopanang le ona matsatsing a megolo. Mme le bona ba tshepisitse ho etsa ka hohle-hohle ho thusa tabeng ena. Re ipiletsa ho mang kapa mang ya tsebang leqheku le golang empa le le ditshila, le sena dijo, le hafa ka nkatana. Ho letsetsa mohaleng wa mahala e leng 086 000 2468.
“Ntja pedi ha e hlolwe ke sebata.”
Speaker, just to give you a glimpse of access to social grants by our aged:
Tackling Adults and Older Persons Poverty
* Linking grant beneficiaries to economic activities targeting individuals within the social security system (Target areas: Setsoto, Phumelela, Nketoane, Tswelopele, Tokologo, Mafube)
The department will invest in programmes that will ensure that we groom leaders within government that will tackle poverty, in any sophisticated form it may take. We will invest monies in bursaries across the disciplines of psychology, information technology, human resources and various other disciplines that will ensure that the department positions itself not only as reactive government body, but a more proactive entity that will root out the scourge of poverty. These important needs will be powered by the development and research engine of the department.
The development and research engine is mandated to provide sustainable development programmes that facilitate empowerment of communities, empirical research and demographic information. This unit will receive an amount of R 14 8 million to ensure the department constantly invests modern and ultra-modern manners of fighting poverty. It is for that reason an amount of R8,5 million has been allocated for the institutional capacity building and support. This does not include monies allocated for learnerships, bursaries and other benefits for employee related programmes such as salary adjustments.
Youth Development
* Implement the Masupatsela Youth Pioneer programme
* There are currently 346 youth pioneers allocated R6 962 104
* Implement the National Youth Service programme
* Income generating projects for youth R4 million under transfer payments
* Number of youth participating in youth service and programs run by NPOs 2030
* R954 400 allocated for 50 youth in learnerships
* 30 percent of early childhood development (ECD) practitioners target youth budget R3 525 million
* 50 percent of HCBC practitioners target youth budget R2,4 million
Total allocation for programme equals R18 867 million
Access to social grants
A total of 154 437 applications for social grants were taken down by SASSA in the Free State between 1 April 2008 and 31 March 2009, of which 70 percent were approved. A total of 360 outreach campaigns were undertaken to increase access to social grants and other social services such as registration for Home Affairs documents, mobile units were also utilised to take service to the rural and remote communities.
The current beneficiary uptake for the Free State is 793,635 amounting to over R400 million per month. The detail breakdown is as follows:
Grant Type: Old age
Beneficiaries: 148,856
Grant Value per month: R148,890,739
Grant Type: War Veteran
Beneficiaries: 36
Grant Value per month: R35,517
Grant Type: Disability
Beneficiaries: 96,677
Grant Value per month: 97,370,436
Grant Type: Forster care
Beneficiaries: 48,658
Grant Value per month: R33,077,920
Grant Type: Care-dependency
Beneficiaries: 4,306
Grant Value per month: R4,347,040
Grant Type: Child support
Beneficiaries: 495,102
Grant Value per month: R118,824,090
Grant Type: Grant-in-Aid
Beneficiaries: 773
Grant Value per month: R185,520
Total beneficiaries: 793,635
Total Grant Value per month: R402,731,262
Alternative identification (ID) documents
In order to further increase access to social grants, the legislation was amended to allow vulnerable persons to apply for a grant using alternative identification documents other than a 13 digit bar-coded ID book. These alternative documents include birth certificates, baptismal certificates, clinic cards, school reports, and sworn affidavits.
If a person has applied using these documents, then they will be required to apply for a 13 digit bar-coded ID book with the Department of Home Affairs and to submit proof of the application within a period of three months, failing which the grant will be suspended.
Old age equalisation
In the past males qualified for old age pension at the age of 65 years, whilst females qualified at the age of 60 years. The 2008 legislative changes introduced the phased in equalisation of the qualifying age between males and females for the old age grant. The equalisation has been phased in as follows:
* 1 April 2008 for males attaining the age of 63 and 64 years
* 1 April 2009 for males attaining the age of 61 and 62 years
* 1 April 2010 for males attaining the age of 60 years
Currently 10 711 males in the Free State between age 61 to 64 are benefiting from this age equalisation. The total number targeted for this financial year is 12 600
Ke nnete hore maqheku a rona a matsohong a mofuthu!
Motsamaisi wa dipuisano, batjha ba rona, bokamoso ba rona! Ha re sa etse bonnete ba hore re thusa batjha ba rona re tla llela metsotso. Re na le mathata ka batjha ba rona, ba a tahwa, ba tsuba matekwane, dithetefatsi, ba thola bana ka bongata empa ha ba sebetse. Ke ka hoo lefapha le beileng tjhelete e lekanang le R 20 million e tla leka ho thusa batjha ba rona ho iketsetsa mesebetsi haholoholo dimasepaleng tse nnyane jwale ka bo Setsoto, Phumelela, Nketoane, Mafube bo Orangeville, Deneysville, Allanridge jwalo-jwalo. Ba na hee, ke bona bokamoso mme re tshwanetse ho etsa bonnete ba hore ba fumantshwa dibasari ho ya dikolong. Ena taba re e kopanetse le lefapha la thuto ho etsa bonnete ba hore e ya phethahala.
Youth Development will also focus on the following:
* implement the Masupatsela Youth Pioneer programme
* there are currently 346 youth pioneers allocated R6 962 104
* implement the National Youth Service programme
* income generating projects for youth R4 million under transfer payments
* number of youth participating in youth service and programs run by NPOs 2030
* R954 400 allocated for 50 youth in learnerships
* 30 percent of ECD practitioners target youth budget R3 525 million
* 50 percent of HCBC practitioners target youth budget R2 4 million
Total allocation of the programme equals: R18 867 million
“Setjhaba se sa kgathalleng batjha ba sona se ya timelong.”
Re leboha di NGO ho thusana le rona ho hlokomela ba sa itekanelang, bana ba phelang diterateng, bo-mme, batho ba rona ba dikobo di mahetleng, hore le bona ba phele hantle jwalo ka batho ba bang. Le bona re tlanne re tswelepele ho ba fa karolo ya tjhelete. Empa re tshwanela ho etsa bonnete ba hore di- NGO e be metswalle ya rona (lefapha), e seng dira tsa rona (lefapha). Re ipiletsa ho di-NGO moo disa kgotsofalang hotla diofising tsa lefapha, ho tla buisana e seng ba re ise makgotleng a di nyewe moo re lo senyang tjhelete eo re ka beng re thusitse setjhaba ka yona. Re a ipiletsa hape ho di-NGO tse eleng tsa basweu feela, ho bontsha kananelo ya setjhaba. Bo-mme ba batho ba batsho, le bona lefapha le ba eletsa ho ema ka maoto ntshetsong pele ya setjhaba, hore le bona lefapha le tsebe ho ba thusa ka ditjhelete le ba etsetse dithupello hore ba ebe karolo ya di-NGOs.
Motsamaisi wa dipuisano, rona re le lefapha le sebetsang le batho ba sa itekanelang, maqheku, batjha, bana, di kereke le batho ba kobo di mahetleng. Ke ka hoo re tlamehang ho etsa bonnete ba hore, hare tshehe le batho ba etsang bobodu lefapheng. Re batla ho etsa bonnete ba hore re fumana basebetsi ba setjhaba (Social Workers) ka bongata. Re tla phatlalatsa dikgeo tsa mesebetsi tse 61, mme re ipiletsa ho bohle ba ithutetseng ona mosebetsi o, ho kgutlela hae lefapheng le mofuthu la Ntshetsopele ya Setjhaba.
Motsamaisi wa dipuisano, Mo-Primiri wa Freistata, Ntate Sekgobelo Magashule o re file taelo ya hore re hlasele, re hlasele bofuma! ke ka hoo lefapha la Ntshetsopele ya Setjhaba le qalang ka Operation Hlasela ka 3 – 7 August. Re tla be re qala masepaleng wa Mafube, re ya le Basebeletsi ba Setjhaba (Social Workers, Community Development Workers, Masupatsela), SASSA, Home Affairs. Bohle ba nang le mathata a mogolo,a bana a tlhaho, dipasa (ID), Project tsa batjha, bana ba hlokahaletsweng ke batswadi le ba fumanehileng, Lefapha le ilo sebetsana le bona beke kaofela ho hlasela bofuma. Ho tloha moo Lefapha le tla be le etela di-masepala tse ding. Ha ho phomolo ntlafatsong ya maphelo a batho ba rona.
Speaker, for as long there are children who do not have the means nor the opportunity to receive a decent education, we shall not rest and we dare not falter in our drive to eradicate poverty. Those are words from our President Jacob Zuma. We are succeeding in our efforts to confront the scourge of poverty that is dehumanising our people.
Despite the limitations of the allocated budget, we have initiated the Friends of the Poor Partnership programme which will serve as a flagship of the various anti-poverty initiatives. This programme is initiated in the department and enjoys the support of the cluster departments with our honourable Premier Mr. Magashule serving as the Patron in Chief of this endeavour. Our approach of the Friends of the Poor is based on the service delivery theme of our government; “working together we can do more to build a caring society”. We are undertaking this programme through partnerships with the Private Sector, and we have received commitments for this noble course. As of tonight during the gala dinner session, we will be signing memoranda of understanding (MOU) with those relevant parties.
Tlasa tshireletso ya motsamaisi wa dipuisano and the people of the Free State, I am looking forward to working positively with the various portfolio committees of the legislature, my colleagues in the executive council, the head of department and the officials. I will be working with and for the community of the Free State and hope to benefit from their wisdom and experience in improving their plight.
I am sure that all our interactions will be most meaningful and championing the ideal of a better life.
Allow me to thank my husband, Comrade Ntombela, and my children for understanding, encouragement and nominating me to be the mother of all the children of the Free State. To Tata Nelson Mandela, to my comrade in the ANC, ANC Youth League (ANCYL) and The Alliance, thanks for being the pillar of strength and ensuring that I remain true to the mandate of working together and doing more to build a caring society.
President Jacob Zuma o re, “Mmoho re ka atleha, mmoho reka etsa tse ngata”. Rona ma-Afrika ke lepetjo la rona hore ngwana wa hao, ke ngwana wa ka, ho esebe ngwana ya robalang ka tlala, ngwana wa moahisana ke ngwana wa ka.
Motho ke motho ka batho. Umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu.
To the Friends of the Poor, mayihlom ihlasele Operation Hlasela on the move!
Thank you
Baie Dankie
Ngiyabonga
Ndiyabulela
Ke a leboha.
Issued by: Department of Social Development, Free State Provincial Government
22 July 2009
