Speech by the Minister of Social Development, Ms Nokuzola Sisisi Tolashe, MP on the occasion of the tabling of Budget Vote 19 of the Department of Social Development to the National Assembly, Cape Town
Honourable House Chair,
Deputy Minister of Social Development, Mr Ganief Hendricks,
Chairperson and Members of the Portfolio Committee on Social Development,
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen, and
My fellow South Africans
1. Honourable Chair, thank you for the opportunity to table Budget Vote 19 of the Department of Social Development for the 2025/2026 financial year.
2. As we table this budget, let us unite in solidarity to remember and honour the lives lost during the recent devastating floods in the Eastern Cape. Our thoughts and prayers are with all the affected families as they rebuild their lives.
3. We also call to mind the countless victims of gender-based violence and femicide, whose pain echoes as a call for justice. Olorato Mongale, Uyinene Mrwetyana, Tshegofatso Pule, Nosicelo Mtebeni, Karabo Mokoena. These are just few of some of the known victims of gender-based violence. We remember their names as a constant reminder of the work that remains to be done.
4. We mourn the passing of the former Deputy President of the ANC and Deputy President of South Africa, Mr David Mabuza. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends and his organisation the ANC, during this difficult time.
Introduction
5. Honourable Chair, this budget vote coincides with the celebrations of uTata Nelson Mandela, one of the most enduring and inspirational icons of our time. Madiba continues to inspire people around the world to work in pursuit of a more humane society. On what would have been Madiba’s 107th birthday, we are reminded of his poignant words [and I quote]: "As long as poverty, injustice and gross inequality persist in our world, none of us can truly rest “ ’[close quote].
6. Madiba’s legacy continues to inspire us as we host the G20 Summit, a historical first for the African continent under the theme: “Solidarity, Equality and Sustainability”. South Africa’s G20 Presidency will amplify Africa’s voice in global governance whilst ensuring that the development priorities of the continent and the Global South find expression on the agenda of the G20. The DSD Portfolio is participating in the Development Working Group and all the preparations for the G20 Social Summit scheduled for November this year.
Context of the 2025/2026 budget
7. Budget Vote 19 takes cue from President Cyril Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation Address and the Medium-Term Development Plan, both of which set out a clear path to build a humane society. As we reflect on the 70th anniversary of the Freedom Charter and thirty-one years of democracy, we take great pride in how far we have come as a nation. We remain steadfast in our commitment to the Freedom Charter’s aspiration that “the people shall share in the country’s wealth”.
8. This budget honours women pioneers who stood strong and sacrificed selflessly. No words can repay the debt we owe, but through this budget we commit ourselves to fulfill their aspirations of making our world a better place for all. I am grateful to stand on the shoulders of giants and pioneers of women like Mama Charlotte Maxeke, whose legacy for social justice resonates profoundly with our mandate. Her life-long sacrifice is a reminder that the fight for equality and dignity for all is never easy, but always worth it.
9. A year ago, I delivered my maiden Budget Vote Speech and pledged my unwavering commitment to join hands under the banner of the GNU to restore the dignity of our people. Since then, Deputy Minister and I have traversed the length and breadth of our country, listening and taking stock of what we must do to better respond to the lived experiences of our people.
10. Looking back, I am proud of how much we have achieved. We have lived up to our commitment to stabilise the Department and its entities. We have now filled the critical posts of Director-General, Deputy Director-General for Welfare Services and Chief Financial Officer in the Department. We have advertised and will soon fill the post of Executive Director for the Inspectorate.
11. We have filled the post of SASSA CEO and are now on course to fill all vacant posts of SASSA Regional Executive Managers. The NDA Board is in the process of filling the vacant posts of CEO and Chief Financial Officer.
12. I am also pleased to inform this House that the Gender-Based Violence Command Centre is now fully operational. Members of the public can reach Social Workers via the 24/7 365 Days Free Emergency Line on 0800 428 428. The Centre forms part of our mandate under Pillar 4 of the National Strategic Plan on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide.
13. The progress we have made gives us courage to tackle challenges ahead, but we are the first to acknowledge that more work still needs to be done. Now more than ever, we need to focus on strengthening families and supporting community-based child protection services. This is the crux of this budget. By implementing a package of services and programmes in this budget, we can work towards a future where all children thrive in supportive environments, and where families are empowered to raise their children to reach their full potential.
14. Early this year, we successfully co-hosted the Africa Children’s Summit in collaboration with the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund. The Summit resolutions were adopted by the high-level meeting of the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child held in Lesotho recently.
15. I take this opportunity to call on all Honourable Members, irrespective of our party persuasion, to join hands to protect children from all forms of violence. Our elders taught us that it takes a village to raise a child. That is why we say umntwana wakho, ngumntwana wami.
2025/2026 Budget Allocation
16. Honourable Chair, this budget vote under the theme: “Restoring Trust, Deepening Impact: Reigniting the Role of the Family in a Renewed Commitment to Dignity and Inclusion”, builds on the renewal of pledges with our people as guided by the Medium-Term Development Plan (2024-2029) and the priorities of the 7th administration under the GNU.
17. In his State of the Nation Address in 2024, President Cyril Ramaphosa said [and I quote]: “Just as we cannot deny the progress South Africans have made over the last 30 years, nor should we diminish the severe challenges that we continue to face” [close quote]. Thirty-One years into our democracy, South Africa remains a country of two nations, with race a key driver of high inequality in South Africa. This has earned our country a tag of being the most unequal in the world as measured through the Gini co-efficient. In its report titled: “Inequality in Southern Africa (2022)”, the World Bank asserts that without social transfers and social spending, inequality would be worse than it is.
18. Hon Chair, this Budget comes at the backdrop of serious budget cuts and growing geopolitical tensions, at a time when we are still grappling with the record high levels of unemployment as per data from Stats SA’s Quarterly Labour Force Survey. Currently, approximately forty-five percent of the South African population receive social grants or social relief of distress as a consistent source of income. This includes over Thirteen Million children on the Child Support Grant and over Four Million older persons on the Old Age Grant. The combination of all these factors, along with the stagnant economy, exacerbate undue hardships and put a strain on our services.
19. This financial year, our budget allocation is Two Hundred and Ninety-Four Billion Rand. Of this amount, Two Hundred and Eighty-Four Billion Rand is allocated for monthly direct transfers to Twenty-Seven Million social assistance beneficiaries. This constitutes Ninety-Six percent of our total budget.
20. An amount of Twenty-Four point Seven Billion Rand is allocated to SASSA for grant administration over the MTEF period. The National Department of Social Development has set aside an amount of Fifty-Two Million Rand, as transfers to Twenty-Two National Councils.
SASSA
21. At the heart of our collective response lies the social grant system [PAUSE]—a vital and consistent lifeline that reaches millions to ensure that no one is left behind. Every month, more than Nineteen Million social grants are paid without fail. These grants continue to support those who are at risk of falling through the cracks.
22. A further Thirty-Four point Nine Billion Rand is added to the Social Assistance programme for the COVID-19 Social Relief of Distress, a vital form of support for millions of unemployed and vulnerable South Africans. Approximately, more than Eight Million beneficiaries between the ages of 18-59 years are reached every month.
23. Our plans to modernise and transform SASSA into an efficient future-ready organisation are fully on track. In this financial year, SASSA will continue to roll out the queue management system, self-service kiosks, scanning of beneficiary files and biometric system. These ambitious service innovations are complemented by the roll out of the Integrated Community Registration Outreach Programmes (ICROP), targeting the most vulnerable communities. We have allocated over Twenty-Nine Million Rand to conduct Five Hundred and Sixteen ICROPs across the country.
24. Honourable Chair, we remain vigilant to protect the integrity of our social assistance system. In this regard, we are currently conducting a review process in line with the Social Assistance Regulations. This is not new, as the previous review focused on public servants. This process is intended to ensure that we pay social grants to eligible beneficiaries, as we say: Paying the right social grant, to the right person, at the right time and place. NJALO! The impact of this process has been substantial, resulting in annual savings of over One Billion Rand.
25. On this note, let me be very clear; we have not stopped or suspended any grant without due process. I wish to appeal to all beneficiaries who have received correspondence to visit SASSA offices and undergo a review process.
Basic Income Support
26. We are forging ahead with processes to replace the COVID-19 Social Relief of Distress with a permanent measure in the form of a Basic Income Support (BIS). Accordingly, we intend to re-table a policy proposal to Cabinet. The additional element of this policy proposal is to link beneficiaries to employment and sustainable livelihood opportunities. We will draw on the success of the pilot project underway in collaboration with the Finmark Trust.
Fighting fraud and corruption
27. We will continue to put SASSA on the best possible footing to meet the fraud threats we face today, as well as those that will probably emerge in the future. To this end, we have allocated over Two Hundred Million Rand over the MTEF period to detect, prevent and eliminate any form of fraud and corruption.
28. We have completed the pilot of the beneficiary biometric system in four offices. Plans are underway to cover all SASSA offices by the end of this financial year. We are determined to ensure that those who steal money meant for the poor to feed their greed, are exposed and held accountable.
NDA
29. An amount of Two Hundred and Sixteen Million Rand is allocated to the NDA in the current financial year for grant funding to civil society organisations. Given the high rates of unemployment, we need to support initiatives that promote local economic development, create job opportunities and reduce poverty.
30. The NDA’s extensive engagement across Twenty-Two wards has resulted in the establishment of Nine community-owned enterprises. The Turnaround Strategy has revitalised the Agency, which has seen it successfully raising over Sixty Million Rand to augment its budget.
Non-Profit Organisations
31. We have commenced with the deregistration of non-compliant NPOs as per the provision of Section 18 (1) of the NPO Act. To date, we have issued over Fifty Thousand notices and deregistered over Fifteen Thousand NPOs. But, [PAUSE], may I hasten to add that not all NPOs are non-compliant, as we have seen an uptake in the number of those submitting their reports.
32. We urge those that have not yet submitted their reports to promptly do so, to avoid deregistration. Going forward, we intend to reduce the red tape by rolling out an automated online application and monitoring system linked to the portals of SARS and CIPC.
33. Early this year, the Department convened a summit which culminated in the declaration to prevent and reduce risks associated with money laundering and terror financing in the NPO sector. This is in line with Recommendation 8 of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). We have set aside One Hundred and Thirty-Seven Million Rand over the MTEF period for this purpose.
34. We stand ready to support the National Dialogue initiated by President Cyril Ramaphosa. This is a powerful platform that will bring South Africans from all walks of life together to share a common vision of a future we want for our children and generations to come.
Gender-Based Violence and Substance Abuse
35. We welcome Cabinet’s recent decision to re-establish the Inter-Ministerial Committee on GBVF and substance abuse in support of the 90-Day Acceleration Programme. This will give the much-needed impetus to our national efforts to combat the twin challenges of gender-based violence and substance abuse.
36. We will continue with the expansion of shelter services, with a focus on the thirty GBVF hotspots. Of the 52 districts, six districts do not have shelters yet. In this regard, we have allocated One Hundred and Two Million Rand to accelerate the recommendations of the 2nd Presidential Summit on GBVF and the National Shelter Indaba.
37. Honourable Chair, each one of us has an important role to play in confronting head-on, the harmful social norms that perpetuate this scourge, in supporting survivors and holding perpetrators accountable.
Employment of Social Service Professionals
38. Honourable Chair, the burden of social ills has brought to the fore the need to employ more social service professionals. With five years remaining before 2030, we are off track in achieving the NDP target of employing Fifty-Five Thousand social service professionals in the sector due to financial constraints. On this note, we condemn the killing of social workers who have become easy prey for criminals because of the nature of their work.
Legislation
39. On the legislative front, we intend to introduce the Victim Support Services Bill and the Children’s Amendment Bill this financial year.
Conclusion
40. Honourable Chair, let me conclude by extending my appreciation to Deputy Minister, Mr Ganief Hendricks, all Members of the Portfolio Committee on Social Development, MECs of Social Development, the Director-General, the CEO of SASSA, the Acting CEO and the Board of the NDA and all staff in the department and agencies in the frontline for their hard work and service to our people.
41. It is now my singular honour to table this Budget Vote 19 for your support.
Ke a leboga! Enkosi.
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