Honourable Speaker and Deputy Speaker
Honourable Premier and colleagues in the Executive Council
Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Social Development
Honourable Members of the Provincial Legislature
Distinguished guests,
Ladies and gentlemen,
“Iphupho lami akusikhona ukuthi ngingafeli ebuphofini, kodwa ukuba ubuphofu obukimi ngaphakathi bufe” said His Majesty King Goodwill Zwelithini KaBhekuzulu in his address at the official opening of the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature on 21 February 2011.
Honourable Speaker, it is an honour for me to table the Department of Social Development budget speech which deals mainly with poor and the vulnerable people.
What was said by His Majesty, tallies with that of President Jacob Zuma in his State of the Nation Address when he said, “since we are building a developmental and not a welfare state, the social grants will be linked to economic activity and community development, to enable short-term beneficiaries to become self-supporting in the long run.”
In line with the National commitment and the Premier’s marching orders, the department will scale up the creation of employment opportunities through the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP). These work opportunities will be created mainly in Early Childhood Development and Home/Community Based Care Programmes, as well as our Capital Infrastructure Development Projects. Our job creation drive will prioritise Youth and Women Project initiatives.
In addition, in this financial year we will fill 578 prioritised, funded vacant posts. In the Premier’s State of the Province Address, the Honorable Premier reminded us that “when we fought for our democracy we had a vision to create a caring and compassionate nation.” The Department is aware of its leadership role and niche in realising this vision.
As a result, the department will continue to accelerate and expand developmental social services to the vulnerable groups such as children, youth, women, older persons and people with disabilities.
We cannot succeed in this endeavor without crafting functional interdependencies and valued partnerships with non-profit organizations (NPOs), organised labour and the private sector.
“Umkhumbi Wokunethezeka” aims at enhancing the quality of life through an integrated system social development services. We are also committed to the promotion of developmental social welfare services and community development to the people of KwaZulu-Natal in partnership with stakeholders.
Madam Speaker, It would be an omission on my part if I failed to thank the Minister of Finance, the Honourable Pravin Gordhan for increment in the social grants. The old age pension will be increased by R60 and will now be R1 140.00 while those who are 75 years upwards will get an increment of R20 and will now get R1 160.00; foster care grants will get an increment of R30 and will now be R740.
As from April child support grant will be increased from R250.00 to R260.00 and in October it will be further increased to R270.00. There is a great outcry from the KZN Chairperson of Senior Citizens Dr Reverend Mgojo where he raises concerns over the Means Test Threshold. The Honourable Minister Gordhan has stated that this is receiving serious attention and amicable solution will be found.
Fraud and corruption
Madam Speaker, fraud and corruption is like cancer that destroys all service delivery initiatives and it can hamper with job creation as the President has stated in his State of the Nation Address. Through the assistance of the Cabinet and Provincial Treasury, we have been assisted by the services of the Special Investigation Unit (SIU), Hawks and SAPS to investigate allegations of corruption in the department. We will soon be informing the members of the public about the tangible progress upon the finalisation of the recommendations from forensic investigation.
Service delivery programmes
The department has aligned itself and made significant contributions towards achieving the 12 outcomes of Government. In rendering developmental social welfare and community development services in 2011/12 financial year, our key focus areas will, inter alia, be the following:
- caring for vulnerable groups
- social cohesion and nation building
- youth development
- job creation and economic empowerment.
- partnerships with non-profit and corporate sectors
Partnerships with non-profit and corporate sectors
Partnership with business people
We acknowledge that the responsibility for housing belongs to the Department of Human Settlement. However, the department, in carrying out its mandate, comes across a number of families in abject poverty who are in desperate need for housing. We have therefore approached the business sectors, who have willingly accepted the responsibility of providing housing to these families.
Through this partnerships, the department has facilitated the provision of houses to the Ximba and Ndwandwe families in Nongoma, Zikhali family in Umhlabuyalingana, the Mvubu and Mngomezulu family in Hlabisa, Motero and Sibanda family at Pongola, Mhlongo family at Molweni, Mkhize family at KwaNqetho, four houses at Ixopo, Khuzwayo family at Maqongqo, Mbambo family at Mpumuza, Thwala family at Osizweni, Zwane family at Nquthu and Mvelase family at Ngome.
We want to thank these business people for their contribution, and they are also present in this session. As a champion of uMzinyathi District Municipality, I have forged partnership with the local business sector in such a way that we about to form a business forum.
Non Profit Organisation (NPO) capacity development
The department will continue to facilitate the implementation of the National NPO capacity framework. We will categorise NPOs as per their level of development, with special focus on rural areas to increase the equitable spatial distribution.
As part of strengthening partnerships with NPOs, we will intensify dialogue and engage all local governance structures. Memoranda of Agreements will be signed with tertiary institutions for accredited NPO training. We will also host an NPO Summit to promote and benchmark NPO good governance.
Honourable members, we value our partnership with the NPOs, who have continuously rendered sterling services under trying circumstances. As part of assisting the NPOs to continue delivering social development services, the department will adjust all subsidies by 7,5% across the board.
Caring for vulnerable groups
Child Care and protection services
The budget for Child Care and Protection Services for 2011/12 is R546,473 million. During 2011/12, the department will appoint new staff and continue to fund 78 existing child and youth care centres and increase the number of children admitted in these centres from 3 200 to 4 410. For Foster Care, the newly placed children will increase from 24,700 to 36,684.
The number of children in funded ECD Programmes will be increased from 24,672 to 76,660. The Department is obliged to intensify the implementation of the Children’s Act. The department plans to appoint additional staff at cluster and service offices and facilities; develop a transformation plan for Child and Youth Care Centres; and facilitate capacity building of staff and stakeholders on children’s services and mandates and monitoring and evaluation of partial care facilities.
The department’s child care and protection services also contribute to ensuring that “all South Africans are and feel safe.” They include early childhood development (ECD); prevention of abuse and neglect; protection and rehabilitation of children living in the streets; foster care and adoption services; as well as subsidising, managing and monitoring Child and Youth care Centres.
Madam Speaker, we have rendered ECD services to 75 000 children and funded 1 592 partial care sites. Through collaboration with the Department of Education, 601 learners completed ECD NQF Level 1 Learnership. On child protection, the department runs six places of safety. We also funded 47 children homes, 12 welfare organisations and children’s shelters that keep 1 025 children. Furthermore, we placed 7 855 children on foster care and processed 10 adoptions.
Care and Services to older persons
The budget for the Older Persons Programme in 2011/12 is R99,312, million. The number of older persons accessing community based care and support services will be increased from 20 000 to 34 000 during 2011/12 with more focus on rural wards. In partnership with NPOs, Senior citizens forums will be established in all eleven districts in order to promote social interaction and dialogue. We will engage 4 697 older persons to participate in the active ageing programmes as well as intergenerational programmes to effect behavioural change amongst the youth.
Madam Speaker, We are concerned with the increase in the number of older persons who are subjected to abuse by lenders and other forms of abuse. I have experienced this in my interaction with the Senior Citizens through Community Outreach Programmes and surprise visits to Pension paypoints.
As the department, we are exploring the possibility of the development of a legislation or policy regulating the relationship between these lenders and older persons. By the end of the coming financial year, we shall establish a database for all older persons who have been abused to implement the provision of the Older Persons Act.
We have subsidised 254 community based centres, 27 welfare organisations and 39 old age homes. I am also pleased to announce that the KwaBadala Old Age Home that was burnt down by fire in November 2007 has been reconstructed at a cost of R34 million. This Old Age Home was officially re-opened by the Honourable Premier, Dr ZL Mkhize on 3 January 2011.
Services to persons with disabilities
The budget for services to persons with disabilities in 2011/12 is R64, 040 million. In 2011/12, the department will continue to engage with NPOs to initiate day care facilities for children with disabilities at Hiebberdene, eMadlangeni, Ekuvukeni, Nquthu and Newcastle.
The department has developed a plan for establishing nine centres for Skills Development - four at UMkhanyakude, one at UThungulu, two at Zululand, one at UThukela and one at Amajuba. This will enable the Department to increase the number of people with disabilities accessing services in these centres to 2 390. The number of persons with disabilities accessing social development services will be increased to 7 865. We will also work with the Office of the Premier to formalise and resource the establishment of Disability Forums in all districts.
Madam Speaker, we have provided access to care and support services to 5,656 people with disabilities. We have subsidised 261 service centres, in state run facilities, five residents facilities who qualified through the Adult Basic Education and Training (ABET) programme received permanent employment in the Public Service. The Osizweni Handicraft Centre under Amajuba District won the Premier’s Award as the best ABET centre and represented the Province at National where we won the second position.
Services to People infected and affected by HIV and AIDS
The budget for the HIV and AIDS prevention programme in 2011/12 is R100,999 million.
Through Home and Community Based Care, the Department will continue to strengthen the implementation of care and support to children and families infected and affected by HIV and AIDS. Currently we have190 sites spread in all district municipalities. These will be increased to 201 in 2011/12.
Through partnership with National Association of Child and Youth Care Workers (NACCW) the department has implemented a best practice model in supporting vulnerable children called (Isibindi Model). This model provides intensive family preservation services, with the aim of keeping children within their households and community. The focus in the new financial year will be the auditing of these Isibindi 21 sites that are operational in all district municipalities and to review the partnership with NACCW in order to expand this service.
In 2011/12 financial year, the department will increase the number of NPOs receiving subsidies from 190 to 201. We will also intensify partnerships with Peace Corps/South Africa volunteers at Nquthu in the Umzinyathi District; scale up the Care of the Caregivers project (Thogomelo programme) at uThungulu and Umgungundlovu District Municipalities; enhance the One Love campaign as a prevention programme at Umgungundlovu and Ilembe District Municipalities and increase the number of caregivers receiving stipends from R1 000 to R1 500 to align with the Community Caregivers from the Department of Health.
Madam Speaker, the department funded 205 NPOs. This enabled us to provide care and support to 38,554 orphans and other children made vulnerable by HIV and AIDS. We have trained 718 Community Caregivers on home-based care (HCBC), 50 NPOs on managing HCBC sites and 22 Social Workers on HIV and AIDS Counseling and Testing. We have also forged partnership with Mondi to provide structural support to HCBC sites and Vodacom Foundation to support orphans and other children made vulnerable by HIV and AIDS at Umsinga.
Social cohesion and nation building
Substance Abuse Prevention and Rehabilitation
The budget for Substance Abuse and Rehabilitation Programme in 2011/12 is R42,747 Million.
In 2011/12, the department will establish an additional treatment centre at uThungulu District in order to intensify the in-patient and out-patient programmes. We shall increase the number of 15 081 youth reached through Ke-Moja Drug Awareness Campaign. The Youth Ambassadors will be deployed to all district municipalities to intensify this campaign. These cadres will play a critical role in identifying hot spots for “whoonga” as well as those youths that are affected by drug addiction and abuse.
Substance Abuse Forums comprising government departments, municipalities and NPOs will be established in all districts to integrate service delivery. Furthermore, the department will continue to subsidise NPOs that render substance abuse and rehabilitation services.
Madam Speaker, the department will continue to run the Newlands Park Treatment Centre in Durban and Madadeni Rehabilitation Centre in Newcastle for drug and alcohol addicts. We increased subsidies to NGOs managing treatment centres by six percent and conducted about 1 100 household surveys as part of planning for future substance abuse services. Non-profit organisations, in partnership with the department, have continued to play a significant role in substance abuse prevention and rehabilitation.
We have just hosted a Substance Abuse Summit from 15-17 March 2011, which was opened by the Honourable President, Mr JG Zuma. I thank all structures for the sterling work they have done in ensuring that the summit becomes a success. We will ensure that we partner with all relevant stakeholders in ensuring effective implementation of the summit resolutions.
Crime Prevention and Support
The budget set aside for Crime Prevention and Support in 2011/12 is R77,132 million. In 2011/12 financial year, the Department will appoint new Probation Officers toensure effective implementation of the provisions of the Children’s Act (2005)and the Child Justice Act (2008). This will enable us to increase the capacity forassessing children awaiting trial from 2,600 to 4,000.
The number of children in conflict with the law who will complete diversion programmes will be increased from 1 400 to 1 650. The department will also institute capacity development that includes aspects of the Child Justice Act, restorative justice, criminal capacity and developmental assessments. Further training is being planned on the blue print norms and standards for secure care centres.
The department has under its control the following Secure Care Centres, that is, Sinethemba at Newcastle, Excelsior in Pinetown, Valley View in Sydenham and Ocean View in Wentworth. All vacant funded posts, will be filled in order to intensify the appropriate implementation of the Child Justice Act. In 2011/12, we will finalise the feasibility study for seven additional secure care centres in KwaMbonambi, Umsunduzi, Abaqulusi, Jozini, uMnambithi, Umbumbulu, and Umuziwabantu.
Honourable Premier, the department trained Probation and Assistant Probation Officers on minimum norms and standards to assist with implementing the Child Justice Act (2008). The Sinethemba Child and Youth Care Centre in Newcastle has been officially opened. Furthermore, we subsidised nine welfare organisations and 10 306 children benefitted from the crime prevention and rehabilitation programme.
Victim Empowerment Programme
The budget for the Victim Empowerment Programme in 2011/12 is R7,665 million.
The department will fund 15 shelters for victims of crime and violence, prioritising rural areas and poverty-stricken urban areas. We seek to increase the number of victims of crime accessing the VEP services to 1,800. Honourable Members, the Department reached 729 men and boys on the programme for prevention of gender-based violence. It subsidised 56 shelters for victims of crimes and violence. It also coordinated the Provincial VEP Forum to ensure inter-sectoral and collaborative service delivery.
In addition, the department participated in the VEP International Conference on 29 September 2010 in Limpopo. In advocating for the rights of victims of crime and abuse, the Department commemorated various events including the 16 Days of Activism against Women and Children. Furthermore, our services were strengthened by partnerships with the United Nations’ Office on Drug. The department will continue to prioritise the fight of crimes against women and children. Focus on the prevention of domestic violence, counseling services, and subsidisation of shelters for abused women and children, will continue to take centre stage within this programme.
Social Relief
The budget for Social Relief in 2011/12 is R8,616 million. Madam Speaker, the department contributes towards outcome 8, which is “vibrant, equitable and sustainable rural communities contributing towards food security for all,” through the programme of social relief. This programme provides temporary assistance to those individuals and families who have fallen through the cracks of the social security system. The department, In 2010/11 financial year, 20 238 individuals benefited from the social relief programme.
In support of the provisions of the Social Assistance Act (No 13 of 2004), the department will provide financial and material assistance to individuals and families in distress. This has become more important because of the climatic changes that impact negatively to poor families especially in rural areas.
Care and support services to families
The budget for Care and Support services to Families in 2011/12 is R3,919 million.
Honourable members, the department’s care and support services to families also contribute towards “vibrant, equitable and sustainable rural communities contributing towards food security for all,” Through partnering with NPOs, 2 399 families at risk received crisis intervention services and 4 816 families participated in family preservation services. These services are currently implemented at UMgungundlovu, Ugu, iLembe and eThekwini Metro. There is a need to expand these services to all district municipalities.
The family unit remains an important element in the support of our communities. Through parenting skills, family preservation and marriage and family counseling programmes, the department seeks to ensure the strengthening of this programme. In the coming financial year, we shall strengthen the family preservation programme through partnering with NGOs, especially in rural municipalities. We shall extend care and support services to families in Sisonke, UThungulu, Mkhanyakude and Zululand through formalising partnerships with NPOs before the end of 2011/12 financial year. The number of families participating in family preservation programme will extended accordingly.
Youth Development
The budget for Youth Development in 2011/12 financial year is: R13,851 million. Madam Speaker, as part of contributing towards “decent employment through inclusive growth,” the department has implemented various initiatives for youth. 366 young people were provided with job opportunities and training as part of the Masupa-Tsela Youth Pioneer Programme. In 2011/12, they will be exited to the Youth Ambassador Programme that is coordinated by the Office of the Premier.
On economic empowerment of youth, the Department funded various youth development projects.
This includes a Youth Development Centre that provides behavioural change training, computer training at Newcastle Municipality and Escabazini Development that provides skills development including catering, plumbing, electricity and bricklaying at Umhlabuyalingana. We have also continued to implement the social work scholarship programme in partnership with various institutions. Currently, we are working in collaboration with 10 universities in the management of this programme, in which we already have 1 139 youth in the system.
Furthermore, we have continued to provide bursaries to Social Work students and 301 of these have been appointed as Social Workers in the department. In addition, 67 youth were provided with work opportunities on the internship programme and received certificates to increase their employability in the future.
In 2011/12 financial year, the department will fund 93 NPOs delivering youth development services as part of contributing to the National Rural Youth Corps. Of these, 16 will be in UMgungundlovu, 12 in Ugu, 10 in Sisonke, four in ILembe, seven in eThekwini Metro, nine in UMzinyathi, 13 in UThukela, 10 in Amajuba, three in UMkhanyakude, three in UThungulu and 4 in Zululand.
We will also provide training and financial support to 40 youth entrepreneurship projects. Four of these will be in UMgungundlovu, three in Ugu, three in Sisonke, four in ILembe, nine in eThekwini Metro, four in UMzinyathi, five in UThukela, three in Amajuba, two in UMkhanyakude, one in UThungulu and two in Zululand.
The Department will work with the Department of Education to intensify technical skills training for youth, especially in plumbing, carpentry and electrical activities. Other youth development programs will focus on school holiday programmes for behavioural change and life-skills; substance abuse, teenage pregnancy, and HIV and AIDS. Women empowerment programmes focusing on sewing, poultry and gardening activities will also be prioritised in all eleven district municipalities.
Job creation and economic empowerment
Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP)
The budget for Care and Support services to Families in 2011/12 is R4,494 million. The department heeds the job creation clarion call made by President Jacob Zuma and Premier Dr Zweli Mkhize in the State of the Nation Address and the State of the Province Address respectively.
The department will create 9 000 work opportunities in 2011/12. The programmes that have a job creation potential are Early Childhood Development (ECD) and Home and Community Based Care Programmes (HCBC), as well as the Internship Programme. In the ECD, the number of work opportunities will be increased from 3 000 to 6 000. In HCBC, the number of work opportunities will be increased from 1 900 to 2 500. In addition, the department will engage 67 youth in the Internship Programme and 342 youths in our capital infrastructural maintenance projects.
Sustainable livelihoods
The budget for Care and Support services to Families in 2011/12 is R14,332 million. As part of providing economic empowerment to communities, the Department has worked in partnership with NPOs, government departments, state enterprises and municipalities to mobilise communities to start economic empowerment projects to ensure sustainable livelihoods.
Activities in these community based projects include gardening, poultry, carpentry, sowing, skills development, arts and craft. These projects sell their products to the community, local crèches, schools, and clinics, thus contributing local economic development (LED).
Madam Speaker, the department has continued to provide capacity building and financial support to community based projects to enhance productivity. To mention just a few, we have Qhudeni project for poultry farming at Nkandla, Emangweni Hlanganani Gardening Project at Escourt, Bhambanana Project for vegetable gardening at Umhlabuyalingana, as well as Gojela Timber Project manufacturing furniture and coffins at Nongoma.
In line with the President’s call, we will link 5 000 social grant beneficiaries’ to sustainable opportunities. Furthermore, we will continue to provide capacity building to non-profit organisations (NPOs) that support poor communities.
To this end a total of 48 social cooperatives will be established across all district municipalities – eight in UMgungundlovu, eight in Ugu, five in Sisonke, four in iLembe, nine in eThekwini, one in UMzinyathi, five in UThukela, four in Amajuba, 1 in UMkhanyakude and two in UThungulu and one in Zululand.
The department will oversee the profiling of households and communities with a view to identifying those affected by abject poverty, so that they can be empowered. Secondly, the previously funded projects will be monitored and assessed so that self sustainable projects can be capacitated, so as to become functional entities independent of funding. Most importantly, the programme will fund new projects for poverty alleviation purposes, prioritising rural communities. The highlight of the programme will culminate in the commemoration of World Food and Poverty Day during October 2011.
Capital infrastructure investment projects
In 2011/12 financial year we allocated R166,479 million. In 2011/12, the department will provide infrastructure development in areas where the need is high. The infrastructure serves as a support for extending and increasing access to social development services to children, youth, elderly, people with disability, and people infected and affected by HIV and AIDS.
In expanding ECD services in 2011/12, we will build seven crèches - Inkanyiso and Zama Zama ECD Centres at UMhlabuyalingana; Bhekabantu Creche at Ulundi; uPhongolo ECD Centre at uPhongolo; Busy Bee and Sinqobile crèches at Umvoti and Zakhe Creche in eThekwini Metro.
We will also expand social development services through construction of Development Centres – one in Jozini; eMaswazini Development Centre at UMsunduzi Municipality; KwaDambuza Youth Development Centre, as well as the completion of the Inkosi Simakade Development Centre in Umsinga.
Other infrastructural development initiatives will focus on the rehabilitation or refurbishment of our offices and facilities that have been identified for improvement over the medium term expenditure framework (MTEF).
Honourable Members, we are excited about the Lungisisa Indlela Village project that was announced in the State of the Province Address. This project seeks to address the challenge of shelter for orphaned and vulnerable children. The department will contribute R3 million for Early Childhood Development on the Lungisisa Indlela project in Verulam.
Key deliverables for 2011/12
The key deliverables for the Department in 2011/12 will be as follows:
- Accelerating and expanding the delivery of developmental social welfare services to protect vulnerable groups such as children, youth, women, people with disabilities and people infected and affected by HIV and AIDS.
These services will be rendered in line with the Government’s Programme of Action (PoA), focussing on rural and previously neglected areas:
- Creation of more work opportunities for the unemployed people as part of the national and provincial commitments. The EPWP and our capital infrastructure development projects will be the key drivers in this regard.
- Enhancing partnerships with non-profit and corporate sectors. This includes intensifying the implementation the NPO Capacity Building Framework to maximise service delivery and ensure value for money thereof.
- Scaling up youth development initiatives in order to provide them with skills and employment opportunities.
- Increasing access to and spatial distribution of service centres to ensure equitable distribution of services.
- Filling of priority, funded vacant posts and sourcing out operational tools for social workers to increase the capacity of the Department to deliver on its mandate.
Budget for 2011/12 financial year
Programme Budget: Administration(R’000): 350, 468 million
Percentage: 18%
Programme Budget: Social Welfare Services
(R’000): 1,439, 055 million
Percentage: 74%
Programme Budget: Development and Research
(R’000): 163, 463 million
Percentage: 8%
Percentage: 100%
Madam Speaker and Honourable Members, it is my pleasure and honour to now move that the amount of one billion, nine hundred and fifty two million, nine hundred and fifty six thousand rand (R1,952,956 billion) be approved for the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Social Development.
I thank you!
