Programmes for Children, Youth & People with Disabilities: briefing by Department of Provincial & Local Government

CHILDREN, YOUTH AND PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES JOINT MONITORING COMMITTEE
8 September 2006
PROGRAMMES FOR CHILDREN, YOUTH AND PEOPLE WITH DISABILITES: BRIEFING BY DEPARTMENT OF PROVINCIAL AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Chairperson: Ms W Newhoudt-Druchen (ANC)

Documents handed out:
Presentation on the Status of People with Disabilities, Children and Youth

SUMMARY
The Department of Provincial and Local Government gave a brief outline of their programmes for Children, Youth and Disabled Persons. Statistics on disabled persons were tabled. It was noted that municipalities were responsible for early childhood development and indigent debtors, including child headed households. DPLG had established a Chief Directorate to support provinces and municipalities in implementing policies relating to gender, disability, youth, HIV and AIDS. It would ensure that all policies were geared towards addressing and redressing their specific needs. DPLG described its internship programme and youth desks. It was about to undertake a study on youth participation in different municipal structures. It would increase the awareness of disability issues in local government and facilitate the training of various role players. Participation of people with disabilities in development programmes would be promoted. DPLG listed the challenges as the limited skills development programmes to enable youth and people with disabilities to initiate their own development activities beyond once-off interventions, a lack of monitoring and evaluation tools and limited documentation and sharing of best practices.

Members asked questions on the staffing figures in DPLG, and commented that much of the programme had focused on what still needed to be done. Questions were asked on the problem of funding, the curriculum for Community Development Workers, how youth programmes were judged for success and the lack of sporting and school facilities. Members were disappointed that not all departments seemed to cooperate and consolidate efforts and that the office for children, youth and persons with disabilities was not yet established. Further questions related to programmes on the National Youth Commission, numbers of disabled councillors, the lack of disabled teachers in schools, and the extent of the Expanded Public Works Programme. It was decided that the Committee would call the Department back to provide the rest of the information.

The Committee noted that the Umsobomvu Youth Fund Annual Report would be presented in the next two weeks. It was also noted that five members of the Committee would attend the People’s Parliament.

MINUTES
Briefing to the Joint Monitoring Committee on the Status of People with Disabilities, Children and Youth
Dr Sibane Mngadi (Executive Manager: Equity and Development, Department of Provincial and Local Government (DPLG)) gave a brief outline of the programmes for Children, Youth and Disabled Persons that the Department had implemented. Statistics indicated that 72% of the unemployed were between the ages of 15 and 35 years. More than 2 million people were living with disabilities, and this figure included more women than men. 30% of people living with disabilities had never been to school. People with disabilities constituted a lower percentage of employed persons. 78% of households headed by persons with disabilities had access to piped water compared to 85% of those headed by non-disabled persons. Municipalities were responsible for early childhood development. Municipalities were also required to make provision for indigent debtors, including child headed households. DPLG had established a Chief Directorate to support provinces and municipalities in implementing policies relating to gender, disability, youth, HIV and AIDS. DPLG would ensure that all policies were geared towards addressing and redressing the needs of children, people with disabilities and youth.

DPLG had set up an Internship programme, aimed at exposing students to practical experience in their field of study. This was implemented during the 2004/05 financial year. Some of the municipalities had youth desks. DPLG would undertake a study to establish the levels at which youth participated in different municipal structures, such as Integrated Development Plan (IDP) clusters and in the formulation of Local Economic Development strategies. DPLG would increase the awareness of disability issues in local government. It would also facilitate the training of various role players on their respective roles and responsibilities in addressing the issue of disabilities at a local level. The participation of people with disabilities in development programmes would be promoted.

One of the main challenges was the limited skills development programmes to enable youth and people with disabilities to initiate their own development activities beyond once-off interventions. There was also a lack of monitoring and evaluation tools reflective of focused interventions for all target groups. Limited documentation and sharing of best practices on addressing the needs of children, youth and people with disabilities was available.

Discussion
Mr B Mkongi (ANC) asked about the staffing figures for disabled people in DPLG and what types of jobs people with disabilities were doing.

Mr Mkongi further commented that it was disappointing that DPLG was only coming on board now. During the formulation of the IDP, the youth and people with disabilities were not involved. Junior commissioners were sent to serve on committees established by the Department. The presentation seemed only to focus on events that still needed to take place, but nothing seemed to have been implemented yet. He wanted to know why there seemed to be a problem when funds needed to be allocated to youth programmes. He asked what curriculum was being used to train Community Development Workers (CDWs). He enquired how the success of youth programmes that were implemented was being measured. He commented that the National Youth Commission (NYC) had a partnership with the Flemish government, as well as the Cuban Government, where information on youth issues was being shared.

Ms H Weber (DA) enquired if there was a special budget in DPLG for youth development. She commented that there were no sports facilities for children and youth that were disabled. Some disabled children could not attend school because there were no ramps or other facilities.

Mr S Mshudulu (ANC) commented that it would be useful if all the information from the various departments could be consolidated into one document and used as a guideline when developing policy. He suggested that Statistics South Africa be commissioned to conduct a special study. The challenges mentioned in the presentation needed to be addressed. He commented that vulnerable groups needed to be integrated into society.

The Chairperson agreed that it seemed as if the implementation of the programmes was still outstanding. The office for children, youth and persons with disabilities was not yet established and running.

Ms Shiva Makotoko (Acting Deputy-Director General, Systems and Capacity Building: DPLG) agreed that the concerns raised by the members were valid. She would attempt to address some of the concerns in her reply but could not answer all of the questions at this stage. She suggested that another meeting should be held and all relative Departments should also be called before the committee to account for the findings that would be presented by DPLG

The presentation had dealt with the mandate of DPLG. There were statistics available for the staff in the department, and although she did not have them with her, this information would be sent to the committee secretary.

She noted that if mainstreaming did not take place through the proper procedures in the beginning, it could not be started after a five-year period on that particular policy. There had been poor integration and implementation of policies and programmes. The programmes around public works and education must be reflected in the IDP.
She stated that junior officials had been sent to serve on committees because they were the only ones available at the Department. Targets had been set out in DPLG for the next five years. DPLG had learnt from its previous mistakes, but was now moving forward, and they would not come back in five years to say that they were still learning about processes.

Ms Makotoko confirmed that DPLG would have to ensure that youth, children and persons with disabilities were an integral part of the IDP planning process. The first port of call would be through the ward committees in the area. Sometimes it had happened that The Department of Education would commission a school to be built in an area where it was not feasible to do so, and so some schools had not been utilized.

The Chairperson replied that it was acceptable for another meeting to be scheduled to address all the questions, provided that DPLG was aware of the concerns that had been raised

Mr M Moss (ANC) commented that issues around disability were taken very seriously in Parliament. He enquired about the Department’s programmes on the National Youth Commission. He asked what percentage of the Department’s budget was spent on vulnerable persons, and if the houses that were built for disabled persons had ramps and sliding doors. He suggested that DPLG should meet with the Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA). He asked how many disabled councillors there were, and what programmes were in place for them. He also enquired what happened to children who had lost both parents.

Ms Makotoko replied that DPLG would have to find out the numbers of disabled councillors. She confirmed also that an audit would have to be done to check what other Departments were doing.

Ms F Nyanda (NCOP, ANC) commented that she had not seen any CDWs in her community. She commented that very few disabled teachers were teaching in schools.

Mr A Madella (ANC) asked how many of the CDWs were disabled. He commented that CDWs did not know what they were supposed to be doing. A recent report indicated that at least 2 million children did not have access to basic municipal services, and he enquired how these issues were being addressed.

The Chairperson commented that she wanted to find out more about the Extended Public Works Programme. She was told that the programme was only for those who were unemployed and did not include the disabled.

Ms Makotoko replied that the role of the CDW was to go into the houses and find out if there were any children whose parents were unable to take care of the child, or were HIV positive. The CDW then needed to ensure that the children had access to government services. However there seemed to be a bias from the CDWs to Social Services. They spent about 62% of their time helping people gain access to grants instead of empowering them economically. This issue was being addressed and a plan of action would be formulated. A detailed analysis of Project Consolidate would be provided to the committee. A number of youth had been employed through Project Consolidate. A mentoring programme had been started, but a way of coordinating all of the programmes needed to be found. The programmes, which were run in the Mayor’s office and IDP, indicated that the budget was not adequate. There was not much confidence from government and the private sector when the Department developed the IDPs.

Dr S Mngadi replied that there was nothing dignified about receiving a grant. He added that DPLG had implemented a “Big brother/ Big sister” mentoring programme for children who had been orphaned by HIV/AIDS.

Mr Mkongi commented that the expanded public works programme should include people with disabilities. The grant that disabled people received would not fall away should the expanded public works programme employ them.

Mr Madella commented that the main challenge for CDWs was that they did not have the information needed to help the community they served to economically empower themselves.

The Chairperson confirmed that the Committee would call the Department back to provide the rest of the information.

Committee business
The chairperson told members that the Umsobomvu Youth Fund Annual Report would be presented to the committee in two weeks time. The People’s Parliament would be held in Oudtshoorn in the following week and five members from the Committee had been invited to attend.

Mr Mkongi asked how the five candidates were selected.

The Chairperson replied that anybody could attend the People’s Parliament, but five members had been selected to assist with the discussions that would be held.

The meeting was adjourned.