Honourable speaker and deputy speaker
Honourable premier
Honourable members of the executive council
Members of mayoral committees
Honourable members
Comrades and friends
Ladies and gentlemen
I am tabling this budget speech when humanity in the country and the world at large is reeling under an economic recession and job losses. The latest quarterly labour force survey released by Statistics South Africa reports that there was an overall decline of 360 thousand in employment between quarter two (Q2):2008 and Q2:2009.
Gauteng suffered the highest proportion of these job losses, with 77 000 people losing their jobs. The unemployment rate among women is 26 percent compared to 22 percent amongst men. This is significant, given the fact that women constitute a higher percentage of the population. The feminisation of poverty is further confirmed by the concentration of job losses among women, with an estimated 68 thousand women losing their jobs as domestic workers from April until June 2009.
The life expectancy at birth for women is 60,8 and that of men 57,3 in Gauteng, whilst this remains higher than the national average, it points to the lowering of the quality of life for South Africans.
Poverty afflicts the vulnerable sectors in society such as the older persons, the unemployed particularly young people, children, women, people with disabilities and those living in rural areas. This budget speech elaborates on our interventions to alleviate the plight of these sectors. Our social compact with organs of civil society such as community based organisations (CBO’s), non governmental organisations (NGOs), Faith Based Organisation (FBO), private sectors, labour together with people centred planning and development is critical in rolling back the frontiers of poverty.
The fifteen year review acknowledges the strides that have been made in fighting poverty by stating that, “When using the R322 per capita (per month) poverty lines, in 1995 about 53 percent of households were living below that line. In 2005, that figure has decreased to 48 percent”. Netshitenzhe added that when using the lower poverty line measure of R174 per capita (per month), the number of households in 1995 stood at 3 percent, decreasing in 2005 to 2 percent.
The review further acknowledges that social grants and the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) are playing a critical role in the reduction of poverty.
The growth in inequity between the rich and the poor has increased. Netshitenzhe explains thus “Even if absolute conditions of people might be improving, the fact that those who are on the upper rim are experiencing a faster rate of improvement in their conditions, it starts to create a sense of relative poverty in the lower ranks”.
Quotation
At the seventh Nelson Mandela annual lecture, Prof Mohammed Yunus said:
“I should never seek a job in my life, my mission in life is to create jobs, I am not a job seeker, I am a job giver”. We should take leaf from this pledge and internalise it, because it is only when we are empowered to dream and to believe in our own abilities that we can break the back of poverty and unemployment.
The President in his state of the nation address stated that by working together we can do more to fight poverty and build a better life for all. He reaffirmed that the fight against poverty remains the central focus of our government. “We shall not rest, and we dare not falter, in our drive to eradicate poverty”, he said.
A consequence of an exercise to reprioritise service delivery in the allocation of resources was guided by the ANC manifesto and the Gauteng provincial government priorities, as captured in the Gauteng medium term strategic framework 2009/14.
Creating decent work and building a growing, inclusive economy
Our interventions are focused on creating a more inclusive economy, by expanding opportunities for the poor to access the labour market and broadening the economic base, while ensuring that the benefits reach all sectors of society, particularly the poor and vulnerable in a targeted way.
In training young people, specifically targeting young women, we will ensure that they gain meaningful, transferable skills so that they can become employable and become entrepreneurs. There are 6,5 million people aged 35 out of the 10,53 people, these young people bear the brunt of unemployment, poverty and diseases such as HIV and AIDS. A higher proportion of young people engage in substance abuse and issues compared to other age groups.
Honourable speaker, our interventions to show that our province values its youth who are future includes the following:
* Training 4 700 young people in artisan skill as electrical, plumbing, life skills, computer training, business skills, and carpentry. This will be done in partnership with state owned enterprises such as Telkom, Eskom and Transnet
* To promote sustainable development, each of our 26 development centres will run three income generating programmes
* The Masupatsela Youth Pioneering programme, 400 young people will receive training on action research, communication skills, project management in this financial year and 1 800 over medium term expenditure framework (MTEF)
* Four thousand volunteer community care givers will be trained in Home Care Based Centre as part the social sector Expanded Public Works programme. An overwhelming number of these volunteers are young women
* Seven hundred youths mainly women, who successfully completed social auxiliary worker learnerships, will be employed by the department and non profit organisation (NPOs) sector
* 79 youths mainly women participate in social worker bursary programmes will be employed by the department in support of retention strategy for social work and other related scarce skills
* Two hundred NPOs involved in school uniform production will be trained and registered as cooperatives. These cooperative will be empowered in school uniform (textile) production and the rendering of cleaning, security, laundry, catering and gardening services. We will establish these as mainly youth and women owned, managed and controlled co-operatives at Alexandra, Mabopane, Mogale City, Katlehong, Vosloorus, Meadowlands and Zola, Refilwe, etc.
Skills development for decent jobs creation and unleashing the entrepreneurial capabilities should specifically target women. I quote C.K Prahalad in The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid. “A well-understood but poor articulated reality of development is the role of women. Women are central to the entire development process; they are also the vanguard of social transformation”
The insights shared by Professor. Mahomed Yunus during the Seventh Nelson Mandela Annual lecture on the Grameen banks will be given serious consideration as we seek to learn from their experiences in our bid to enhance our efforts to assist the poor to escape from abject poverty. It is also well documented that the success of the bank is based on lending only to women. The Grameen ‘phone ladies’ are the entrepreneurs. Mrs Zanele Mbeki has pioneered the implementation of a similar programme in the country, and we will explore mechanism to partner with this initiative.
We will use affirmative procurement measures to empower those that have been historically disadvantaged. This is an important tool in promoting small enterprises that play a role in the creation of decent jobs. In our quest to build a growing, inclusive economy, we have set the target that 90 percent of all contracts (R259 million) will be awarded to previously disadvantaged individuals and small, medium and micro-enterprises (SMMEs). Also the department will endeavour to ensure that the preferential procurement spend is as per Gauteng provincial government targets of 70 percent, historically disadvantaged individuals (HDI), 15 percent women, five percent, youth and People with Disabilities five percent (PWD).
I would like to conclude the section on decent work by borrowing from Michael P Todaro, I quote “because women carry a disproportionate burden on poverty and landlessness that permeates developing societies any significant improvements in their role and status via education, they can have an important impact on breaking the vicious cycle of poverty and inadequate schooling”.
Promoting quality education and skills development
Honourable speaker, early childhood development (ECD) is an important stage in enhancing the cognitive development of children. ECD centres must be places where children learn, play, and receive nutritional support. Investing in early childhood development is not only a means of giving children a good start in life, but contributes to the socio-economic development of the province.
In order to ensure legal compliance, we will ensure that 1 500 currently unregistered home based early childhood development centres become compliant and registered to ensure that the children at these sites are safe and given quality care and development. We are focusing on zero to four year old children whilst Education focuses on grade R.
During the year under review, we plan to achieve the following:
* fund 568 existing and two hundred new early childhood development sites
* ensure that an additional 10 thousand children are included in the early childhood development programme
* training of 680 ECD practitioners.
In 2009/10 the department has increased the subsidies to ECD facilities to R12 per child per day. We are going to be developmental in our approach to unregistered crèches. We will expand and improve the quality of training provided to unregistered ECDs. Steps will be taken to ensure that the level and pace of training of ECD practitioners meets the need. Collaboration with municipalities to provide health and safety certificates will continue as this is a prerequisite for funding and registration of these sites. Health and Safety at these centres are nonnegotiable.
Stimulating rural development and food security
Honourable speaker, in addition to prioritising sustainable livelihood, social relief of distress, HIV and AIDS and youth development, further steps will be taken to stimulate rural development and strengthening food security.
The social relief of distress programme aims to assist beneficiaries who are in distress, affected by disasters not declared, and any other social condition resulting in undue hardship. Key to this programme is the current initiative by the department to have at its disposal stock of food, blankets and other emergency supplies to distribute immediately to beneficiaries in need. The warehousing of these resources will be complimented by the rollout of five food banks in all regions in the province. In this regard the department will enter into partnership with retailers and other supplier of identified goods and services so as to ensure that there is effective “delivery on demand” to the clients
In the 2009/10 the department will be accelerating its delivery on this programme to reach 13 300 beneficiaries with food vouchers. In addition, nutritional support will continue to be provided to identified beneficiaries via HCBC sites in the form of 10 500 food parcels, daily meals at drop-in centres to 26 thousand beneficiaries and 11 500 persons on the anti-retroviral (ARV) programme that are not receiving social grants provided with nutritional support. The people who access this service will be linked with the Department of Agriculture to start their own food gardens
Intensify the fight against crime and corruption
Poverty, together with a range of socio-economic, political and cultural factors, contributes to an increase in crime. New legislation on Child Justice provides for children not to be incarcerated with adults. The diversion programme comprises a set of interventions targeting children under 18 that are in conflict with the law by providing community based alternatives to the criminal justice system. The intervention takes into cognisance the fact that most child offenders are children who, if diverted from the criminal justice system, may have a chance to become law abiding citizens.
In the year under review, 4 700 children in conflict with the law will be in diversion programmes. In this regard, in excess of 3 700 Children in conflict with the law will be part of home based supervision. We will strive to divert children from all communities particularly children from informal settlement.
Honourable members, we are giving a second chance to children who are in conflict with the law. Where this is not possible, children awaiting trial are sent to secure care facilities. In this financial year it is envisaged that in excess of 3 500 children in conflict with the law will be accommodated in secure care centres managed by NPOs and government.
There are currently three existing secure care facilities. We are building a new secure care facility in Soshanguve which is due to be completed in the current financial year. We hope that this new facility will also decrease our dependency on private service providers and enable the government to render a more cost effective service.
A number of children awaiting trial in correctional facilities has decreased substantially to below 130, these children are kept in correctional facilities because of the nature and severity of their offences.
Honourable speaker, victim empowerment programmes are aimed at assisting victims of gender-based violence to recover, and to prevent future incidents. We will continue to provide funding to 18 shelters for abused women that will benefit 964 women and 246 children on a quarterly basis. These facilities will be reviewed with the aim of ensuring the involvement of all departments and modelling them around the ‘Ikhaya Lethemba’ approach. Furthermore the department will fund 21 non profit organisations to deliver empowerment services for victims during 2009/10.
Services provided under the victim empowerment programme include counselling services, men’s empowerment programmes, perpetrator programmes that include social skills and the provision of girl child empowerment programmes. We will also link abused women in shelters to economic empowerment opportunities.
Building cohesive and sustainable communities
War on poverty
In our offensive against poverty, we have devised a multi-pronged strategy which is aimed at addressing among others: investment in human capital; development of local economic development opportunities; food and income security through income-generation activities while providing safety nets for the most vulnerable.
Targeted households will be assisted to benefit from a basket of basic services such as:
* free basic water and electricity
* rates rebates
* social grants
* free health care
* free education
* indigent burials
* free scholar transport
* home-based care for those infected and affected by HIV and Aids and
* food security for targeted children.
Honourable speaker, this is an integrated “assault” on poverty. As the honourable premier announced in her state of the province address, young mothers who are recipients of child support grants will be provided an opportunity to improve their lives through their involvement in skills development and the Expanded Public Works programme.
Working together, the Department of Local Government and Human Settlements, we will conclude the matching of grant recipients and municipal indigent registers. We will target those households which appear in the register but are not in receipt of a grant. Honourable members, the latest figures indicate that 69,8 percent of grant recipients are not registered as indigent. In the current financial year, 10 thousand households will be profiled in prioritised wards (Westonaria Wards 11 and 14, Merafong City Ward four, Emfuleni Ward 28, Randfontein Ward 14, Mogale City Ward 16) to offer a basket of basic services.
Bana pele
Honourable Speaker, the ANC government has always prioritised children. The Bana Pele programme is our provincial response to poverty afflicted children. This programme comprises of an integrated package of services targeting orphaned and vulnerable children through a ‘single window’.
Honourable speaker, the highest number of children living in poverty is African, followed by children living in coloured households. If we do not intervene generational poverty is perpetuated. Among Africans, households that are headed by women are worse off than those that are headed by men. The school uniform project is not only focused on the provision of school uniforms to needy children, but also focuses on empowering communities by job creation through the creation and support of sewing groups in the communities.
Honourable speaker, we will continue to deliver a range of services which benefit vulnerable children. These include among others:
* free health services for children under the age of six
* 48 700 children have accessed free school transport if they live on farms and plots and are more than five kilometres from schools.
* 586 thousand children will access the primary school nutrition programme
* 823 238 children will attend no fee schools
* over a million children receive child support grant.
We have developed an electronic system for referring children between the Departments of Education, Health and Social department. The Bana Pele data base will serve as key to the development of a comprehensive data of children that will include features such as pictures, finger print registration. This database will be coordinated with the Department of Home Affairs and will include children attending early childhood development centres.
We cannot celebrate the fact that over a million children are dependent on child support grant, whilst some of the fathers earn a decent income, but shun their responsibility towards their children. We appeal to them to be men enough, and take pride in caring and raising their children. In partnership with the Progressive Movement of Women in South Africa, Gauteng we will start programmes to mobiles society to locate these men and ensure that they support and pay maintenance.
HIV and AIDS
Honourable speaker, the HIV and AIDS pandemic has a devastating effect on children and those who provide care for them. Our programmes are aimed at building and strengthening government, family and community capacities to provide a supportive environment for orphans and girls and boys affected and infected by HIV and AIDS. This will include programmes to address the psychosocial problems encountered by children affected by HIV and AIDS.
In 2009/10 we have committed to fund 187 existing and 30 new home care based centre sites. These centres provide drop-in services such as meals, assistance with homework and laundry services. This programme will reach 20 thousand families, 62 thousand children, 4 700 older persons and 3 820 child-headed households. These sites will take care of all orphaned and vulnerable children irrespective of the cause of their vulnerability.
Integration of the Departments of Health and Social Development will streamline community based service and synergise delivery of services such as HIV and AIDS, services to older persons, people with disabilities, substance abuse and women who are victims of domestic violence.
As part to the employee assistance programme, voluntary counselling and testing (VCT) has been offered to all departmental employees on a regular basis by an NGO, Touch of Care. Additional support services to employee include counselling and training. It is envisaged that 480 employees will be reached through this programme.
Substance abuse, prevention and rehabilitation
Gauteng is faced with growing substance abuse problem which is multi–faceted. More young people are becoming involved in drug abuse and drug trafficking. Substance abuse is a major contributor to crime poverty, reduced productivity, unemployment, dysfunctional family life and the escalation of disease such as HIV and AIDS. In order to fight substance abuse amongst our youth we will build an out-patient community based substance abuse treatment and rehabilitation facility in Refilwe.
I call upon honourable members to work with us to curb the scourge of drug abuse. When we held izimbizo in Tshwane townships last year, parents related to us an increase in the abuse of a drug called ‘Nyaope’-which is a combination of dagga and heroine. I therefore call upon parents and teachers to act swiftly when children begin showing signs of drug abuse. As government we are willing to intervene to save our children. The future of our children cannot be postponed!
This programme seeks to create mechanisms for the combating of substance abuse through prevention, early intervention, treatment and integration programmes. Prevention services and programmes focus on the preservation of the family structure of persons affected by substance abuse. In the case of youth, the focus is on diversion of the child away from the child and youth care system as well as from the criminal justice system.
Provision of counselling services to beneficiaries of the substance abuse programme is targeted to reach 7 550 beneficiaries. 25 after care programmes for persons who received treatment for substance abuse are planned for the year.
We will also strengthen the provision of Information Technology (IT) services via its 23 out–patient substance abuse treatment programmes and five inpatient treatment and rehabilitation services.
Collaboration with the Departments of Community Safety, Economic Development and municipalities on the identification of shebeens located within closer proximity to schools and early childhood development centres. Again, working with the Department of Community Safety we will target out of youth schools that are also at risk due to substance abuse.
Services to older persons
It is often said that the health of a nation is reflected by how it treats its vulnerable citizens, in particular, the elderly. The mandate of government is to provide care, protection and facilitate development of all vulnerable people, including older persons. Older persons are an integral part of society. Services to older persons have included shifting services from an institutional model to a community-based model to ensure that older persons function independently and remain with their families and in the community for as long as possible.
38 home based care programmes for older persons will be delivered by registered and funded non profit organisations. The empowerment of older persons, to continue to live meaningful lives in a society that recognises them as important sources of enrichment, expertise and community support remains important.
Many older persons have become caregivers in their communities, while receiving limited support. We have therefore decided to develop and implement a programme to support older persons, specifically granny-headed household who care for children through counselling and material assistance (food parcel through food banks).
Encouraging independent living and creating an enabling and supportive environment that ensures that both frail and mobile older person receive services that respond to their needs remains the cornerstones of the policy. In order to achieve this, 44 active aging programmes will be implemented for older persons by NPOs funded by the department. We will strengthen programmes provided to older persons so as to promote active ageing and healthy lifestyles. We will also increase awareness of older person on HIV and AIDS and substance abuse.
Residential services to older persons are provided by 91 registered and funded residential facilities for vulnerable older person at risk. In addition, 147 registered and funded community based services (service centres and luncheon clubs) will be strengthened to provide services to older persons.
Honourable speaker, we acknowledge that there is an urban bias in the location of residential old age facilities. Key to accessibility is the admission of older persons from the townships to residential old age facilities located in the suburbs. In this regard, the department will ensure that all residential facilities for older persons have dedicated number of affordable beds to accommodate vulnerable older persons from disadvantaged communities. A key element of this plan is centralisation (regional) of the residential facilities admission waiting list database and admission registers to facilities monitoring in terms of racial profile, gender and income.
We will thus be able to ensure the transformational agenda in the movement of older persons on the waiting list at registered and funded residential facilities into residence at the facilities. Provision will also be made for safe beds for 250 abused and neglected older persons.
The integration between the department of Health and Social Development will benefit older persons and people with disabilities by ensuring that health services are provided at service centres, old age homes, protective workshops and homes for people with disabilities. These vulnerable sectors will benefit from an integrated package of services.
Honourable members, we want to put an end to the abuse of the elderly at pension pay points. In collaboration with South African Social Security Agency (SASSA), we will train volunteers and queue marshals who will identify abuse cases and report them to authorities.
Services to persons with disabilities
Provision of services to people with disabilities is based on a human rights and a developmental approach to disability. Our programmes focus on the removal of barriers to equal participation and the elimination of discrimination based on disability.
Services for people with disabilities include the provision of residential facilities, sheltered employment and awareness programmes. This year, we will continue to fund 36 residential facilities. We will fund six new protective workshops and bring their total number to 68.
Honourable members, we have developed psychosocial services for people with disabilities and the development and implementation of a strategy to roll out sign language and braille training for targeted families. We have decided to mainstream disability issues in order to ensure recognition of the contribution that people with disability can make in society including in the public service.
Construction of social infrastructure
We are constructing 17 early childhood development facilities (Mamelodi, Kagiso, Munsiville, Ratanda, Refilwe, Daveyton, Duduza, Katlehong, Tembisa, Tsakane, Kwa Thema, Wattville, Garankuwa, Soshanguve, Boipatong, Sharpville, Alexander.
We have also identified a need for facilities which provide after-school support and drop-in facilities for orphans and vulnerable children, including those attached to child headed households.
In line with the 20 prioritised township project, three home community based care facilities for orphans and vulnerable children in Mamelodi, Ratanda, and Refilwe will be built. Day care facilities for older persons are also a key priority, as we move away from residential to community based services. To this effect seven day care facilities for older persons in Tembisa, Daveyton, Soshanguve, Garankuwa, Mamelodi, Ratanda, and Refilwe will be built in this financial year. Over the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF), the department will be constructing one new old age home annually (Mohlakeng in 2009/10).
Social Compact
The social development programmes such as substance abuse, domestic violence, care and protection of children, older persons, and people with disabilities requires the mobilisation of individuals, families and communities. A social compact with civil society, including faith and community based organisations, business community, labour and donor organisations will enhance the effectiveness of our programmes. As part of this social compact, I appeal to the business community to ensure that their corporate social invest programmes are aligned with government programmes and bring fundamental and sustainable change. The challenges facing South Africa can be tackled by all of us, together we can do more.
Strengthening the developmental state and good governance
Corruption, negligence and maladministration
We have a zero tolerance approach on acts of fraud and corruption. The following measures have been undertaken to root out fraud and corruption:
* 100 percent of all hot line queries will be investigated and serious cases referred to the Special Investigation Unit (SIU).
* Risk assessments will be performed and action plans instituted and monitored to ensure compliance
* Continued scrutiny of the quality of services that are delivered by contactors.
* All service level agreements will scrutinised by our legal directorate to ensure that a clause is included for penalty claims if project specifications are not adhered to.
* All new cases to be referred to SIU including civil cases between the department and contractors and suppliers.
* Strengthen contract management unit to improve monitoring contractor’s performance, compliance to contract terms and conditions.
* Develop mechanisms (check list) to ensure that end users monitor compliance to contractual terms and conditions.
* Trainings of service providers/suppliers and end users on existing legislation.
* Engage Gauteng Shared Service Centre (GSSC) to ensure that penalty and escape clauses are included in all transversal contracts.
* Monthly and quarterly meetings with service providers/suppliers to resolve contractual problems and improve on working relationships.
* Weekly and monthly monitoring through submission of reports.
* Termination of contracts for non-complying service providers/suppliers.
We will ensure that suppliers that have rendered a service to the department are paid within 30 days. Monitor compliance with service level agreement and report accordingly.
Conclusion
The 2002 report of the Committee of Inquiry into a Comprehensive Social Security for South Africa, Taylor report, acknowledges that long term and short term interventions to reduce poverty go a long way in bringing much needed relief:
“While most policy makers agree that underlying structural causes of poverty are best addressed by long term strategies, designed to give people access to opportunities, and income generating assets, there is also a widespread realisation that certain temporary relief measures are necessary in order to assist the particularly vulnerable in society”
Honourable speaker, we must be courageous in dealing with poverty and learn from the journey travelled by other nations before us. In his Long Walk to Freedom Nelson Mandela said “I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear”. Our success depends on the individuals and families believing in their capability to conquer poverty. We are determined to break the back of poverty!
To the honourable premier, thank you for your leadership
To the executive council, thank you for your support
To the Chairperson of the Health and Social Development Portfolio Committee
Honourable Molebatsi Bopape, thank you very much for your oversight role
To the Heads of Departments of Health and Social Development, Mrs Sybil Ngcobo and Mr Bheki Sibeko, thank you very much for holding fort during the merger of the two departments.
I would like to announce that Dr Abul Rahman has agreed to stay and we are grateful to have someone like him. He will be chief of operations, his experience will be invaluable.
To all management and staff across the board I say thank you.
To support staff in the MEC’s office thank very much for tolerating me, unwele olude!
To the team that put this speech together, thank you.
Lastly, I want to thank my family for putting up with constant absence. You are my source of strength!
Ngiyabonga!
