of Social Development, to the National Assembly, Cape Town
23 May 2007
Chairperson
Honourable Minister of Social Development
Honourable members
MECs for Social Development
Distinguished guests
Members of the community present here today
Ladies and gentlemen
In his State of the Nation Address on 9 February 2007, the President called
on all of us South Africans to renew our pledge to implement the programme of
government to build a better life for all. Budget Vote 17 in this financial
year aims to do this by implementing the other pillars of Comprehensive Social
Security by addressing the needs of those who continue to fall into the poverty
trap and to strengthen services to improve social cohesion and eradicate
poverty. Part of this is the development of a system of mandatory retirement
savings to improve the quality of life of many elderly persons who retire from
employment without medical and retirement cover.
Chairperson, during the first decade of our democracy, the Department of
Social Development's programme budget in the provinces had focused largely on
social security. Indeed the social security programme has been very successful,
currently paying grants to over 12 million beneficiaries. This success has
created the public perception that Social Development is the department of
pensions and grants only. However, the department's work includes social
developmental services to all vulnerable South Africans including abandoned
babies, orphans and vulnerable children, to children in conflict with the law,
support to victims of crime and violence, to persons with disabilities and
elderly persons. In addition to services to vulnerable persons, the department
focuses on empowering, mobilising and developing the poor and marginalised.
These include programmes, which develop skills to enable sustainable
livelihoods, building social cohesion through strengthening families and
communities and building a caring society.
However, provision of developmental welfare services is hampered by a severe
shortage of social service professionals, some of whom had been enticed by
strong currencies of Europe and the western world, while others have found the
difficult working conditions and low salaries unbearable and have consequently
left the profession. In this regard, the Department of Social Development is
implementing its Recruitment and Retention strategy for Social Workers, aiming
at encouraging young South Africans still at school to consider pursuing social
work as a profession of choice and making scholarships available for them to
study social work. The department has received an allocation of R365 million
over the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) towards scholarships for
study towards social work, including assisting those social work students who
have completed their studies but cannot receive their degree certificates on
account of outstanding fees still owing to the university. With the R50 million
allocated this financial year, the department has awarded scholarships to 1 443
as part of creating the human capital needed to respond to the demand for
service delivery and statutory obligations.
Through-put continues to be a concern and in this regard we appeal to
training institutions to introduce the necessary academic development
programmes and other support mechanisms, for example, mentoring, to ensure that
South Africa reaps the harvest of this investment. As part of the strategy, the
department will continue to strive for regular and continuing improvements in
the working conditions of those already in the profession with a view to
keeping them in the service. This effort will be strengthened by the
department's focus on skills development and empowerment programmes for all
social service professionals. As part of this effort, the provincial
departments will train Social Auxiliary Workers (SAW) to render support to
social workers and relieve their workload. This category of workers provides
paraprofessional services and receives on the job training through the
learnership programme, which is 30% theory and 70% practice. The capacity of
social workers within the sector will be enhanced when supported by social
auxiliary workers and community development practitioners. The department is
working closely with the Council for Social Service Professions to formalise
these and other additional service professions such as child and youth care
workers, etc.
Chairperson, the President called for the deepening of social
transformation, social cohesion, eradication of poverty and reduction and
eradication of crime. In our context, it means that social grants must be
integrated and supported by more effective social services if the social
liabilities accumulated by those who have been disadvantaged by apartheid are
to be addressed. Redressing the historical under-funding of developmental
social services still remains the greatest challenge. The budget allocation of
R25 million for integrated welfare services is a positive step in addressing
this legacy. This will assist the department's new efforts of fostering
interplay between social security and other social development services. These
efforts will see social grant beneficiaries being linked to economic activity
and sustainable livelihoods, as well as integrating information systems between
the department and the South African Social Security agency (SASSA) to ensure
that social grant beneficiaries also receive welfare and other basic services
to salvage them from the poverty trap.
Honourable members, in addressing the increasing levels of serious
interpersonal violence, in particular domestic violence and the abuse of
children, victim empowerment programmes provides integrated services to victims
of crime and violence to strengthen families and communities for a better life
for all. These services form part of Department of Social Development's
contribution to 365 days of activism against gender violence. Whilst the
management of shelters is implemented at provincial level, the national
department through Criminal Asset Recovery Account (CARA) has set R3 million
aside to strengthen shelters.
The department continues to implement the National Youth Service Programme
which is a partnership between the department, Umsombovu Youth Fund, National
Association for Child Care Workers Service Programme and the Royal Netherlands
Embassy. Through this programme, 192 volunteer assistant probation officers
were appointed to render the Home-Based supervision programmes and 187 have
completed block one training which is conducted by the University of Western
Cape. Ninety three Probation Officers from all provinces were trained as
assessors and mentors of voluntary assistant probation officers. Approximately
1 986 children have benefited from the Home-Based supervision programme and 12
770 have been diverted from the criminal justice system. Through the roll out
of the department's secure care centre management system to be completed by
March 2008, the department will strengthen the delivery of services in this
area.
Ladies and gentlemen, the Departments of Education, Health and Social
Development drafted a national implementation plan known as the Integrated Plan
for Early Childhood Development (ECD), which was approved by Cabinet in 2006.
The plan is currently under revision with a view to exponentially increase the
number of employment opportunities under this programme, which will also assist
the department in extending the reach of its services. This plan forms part of
the Expanded Public Works Programme which will see an increase in the
registration of ECD centres throughout the country, especially in those
communities where poor children are to be found. The inclusion of early
childhood development and home based care services targeting children will
improve their lives and deliver them from vulnerability, through the
determination of minimum standards for service delivery in this field.
Honourable members, the scourge of HIV/AIDS and other diseases has left many
children without parents. Together with our social partners, the
Non-Governmental Organisations, Community-Based Organisations and Faith-Based
Organisations, the department continues to make strides in improving the lives
of orphans and vulnerable children, to ensure that they have access to
nutrition, social grants and are assisted by home based carers. The Children's
Amendment Bill, which is currently before the NCOP, provides for early
intervention by organisations and state officials to ensure the safety of
children. Such intervention will not be possible unless members of the public
are vigilant and adopt the motto of "your child is my child" and intervene
wherever children may be in danger. By December 2007, the department will have
implemented the strategy for foster care. It will also implement and monitor
the policy on child abuse, neglect and exploitation through 75% of offices
during this financial year.
The regulations for the Children's Amendment Act and programmes for children
living and working on the streets will be in place by March 2008. All
programmes for children are inter-linked to ensure that the interest of the
child comes first and guides our service delivery in protection and care of
children. Ladies and gentlemen, alcohol and substance abuse is on the increase
and the abuse of methamphetamine in the Western Cape has reached epidemic
proportions. This toxic drug, to which children as young as eight years old
have become addicted, has been raging in the Western Cape Province for more
than five years. Addicted teenagers are engaging in risky sexual behaviour,
increasing their vulnerability to HIV/AIDS and their unborn children.
Chairperson, I take the view that only a concerted, highly visible,
protracted and integrated public awareness campaign can best educate and inform
our communities about the National Drug Master Plan. In this regard, provinces
should intensify their efforts to provide early intervention services to divert
our children who may be at risk, to appropriate activities in the fields of
arts and culture, sport, leadership camps, etc. To this end, R2,8 million has
been budgeted for the Ke Moja campaign in the 2007/08 financial year and we are
gearing up to embark on a massive public education campaign. Two hundred
service providers will be trained on substance abuse intervention and trends
during this financial year.
The department held its first Biennial Substance Abuse summit in February of
this year, which was very successful. The summit resolved amongst others to
strengthen Ke Moja as a national awareness programme together with other
initiatives such as, South African National Council on Alcoholism and Drug
Dependence (SANCA), Love Life and Soul City, strengthen the Central Drug
Authority (CDA) support structures and consolidate the establishment of the
Local Drug Action Committees, develop integrated intervention programmes for
the prevention of substance abuse amongst children and strengthen existing
programmes.
All provinces are directed by the National Drug Master Plan to formulate
plans to implement prevention, early intervention and treatment to reduce the
scourge of alcohol and substance abuse. To facilitate this, the budget of the
CDA which has a responsibility to oversee the implementation of the National
Drug Master Plan (NDMP) has been increased substantially. Most provinces have
launched substance abuse forums and municipalities are establishing local drug
action committees in which teachers, social workers, police, justice officials
and members of the community will formulate plans to combat substance abuse in
their areas. These forums should be utilised to integrate the community based
programmes from the various departments like Education, South African Police
Service (SAPS) and Social Development that have a bearing on crime prevention
and community safety.
In the near future, the department will table the Prevention of and
Treatment for Substance Bill. The Bill aims to make it incumbent on provinces
to make prevention, early intervention services, treatment and after-care
services accessible. This Bill also provides for a framework to guide the
implementation of the NDMP, to ensure compliance by the relevant departments
with the provisions of the plan.
Madam Chairperson, South Africa's two-year term as chairperson of the
African Population Commission of the African Union ends later this year. During
this term we promoted the values and priorities that underpin our population
policy. A definite highlight of our term was the recent Pan-African conference
titled Population and Development in Africa Research and Policy Dialogue for
Action, which we hosted in Mafikeng in collaboration with local partners, the
African Union, the United Nations Population Fund and United Nations,
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation's (UNESCO) Management of
Social Transformations Programme, of which Minister Skweyiya is the
President.
The conference concluded with the adoption of the so-called Mafikeng
Declaration, which represents an inclusive and broad based commitment to action
which builds on existing intergovernmental agreements in an Africanised,
engendered and decisive manner. We have also explored how the recommendations
on mother and child health could strengthen the Southern African Development
Community (SADC) programme. Countries were encouraged to investigate the role
of men in maternal and child health by commissioning a country comparative
study and to decide how best the results can be used in maternal and child
health programmes. In conclusion, I call on each one of us to renew our pledge
to build a South Africa in which every citizen can participate fully and
actively and be treated with dignity and respect. We can achieve more if we
work together to improve the quality of life of all.
I thank you.
Issued by: Department of Social Government
23 May 2007
