Evaluation of Committee progress for 2002

CHILDREN, YOUTH AND DISABLED PERSONS: JOINT MONITORING COMMITTEE
26 June 2002
EVALUATION OF COMMITTEE PROGRESS FOR 2002

Chairperson: Ms H I Bogopane

SUMMARY
Committee evaluated its progress for the year so far. Objectives set at the beginning of the year were examined to see if objectives had been met. The Committee also considered the programme for the third term of Parliament.

MINUTES
The Chairperson said the aim of the meeting was to look back at their progress as a Committee during the first and the second term of the year. The quarterly report of the Committee would be given to the members but it would still be edited by the Chairperson. Other issues for the Committee to look at were the reports from their subcommittees. The subcommittee for children had given their report but the subcommittees for Youth and the Disabled had not .She said that she wanted some input from the members as to whether the reports should be adopted even if they had not been given in by the subcommittees.

Mr Moss (ANC) said that, as a subcommittee for the disabled, they had never met to discuss the reports and he did not know whether they should bring back the reports.

The Chairperson said that only the Committee could decide whether the reports should be adopted.

Ms Gandhi (ANC) said that the report was good and it contained almost everything and therefore she suggested that the report be adopted.

Mr Moss (ANC) seconded the proposal by Ms Gandhi that the report be adopted.

The Chairperson declared the report to be adopted. She also said they should look at the issue of some protocols. There was some confusion concerning the protocols because two protocols had been made to look like one. The "protocol on armed conflict" was still with Parliament and had not yet been adopted.

Ms Gandhi said all these protocols related to matters concerning children and should be given to the subcommittee on children to evaluate them.

The Chairperson said that the Department would brief the Committee on the protocols in the second week of August. She also said that the report on children's day was not yet ready. The text was ready but there was children's' artwork that needed to be inserted in the report.

The Chairperson proceeded to look at the progress of the Committee. She said that she was not aware as to whether the members wanted to note progress verbally or in writing.

Mr Dithebe (ANC) suggested that the office of the Chairperson take a lead in assessing whether they had met the objectives that they had set out to achieve and what challenges the Committee faced if they did not meet the objectives

Mr Raju (DP) agreed with Mr Dithebe on the Chairperson taking the lead but felt that the members of the Committee should have some input in the progress report as well.

A member of the Committee echoed the same idea that both members and the Chairperson should work together in compiling the report.

The Chairperson said that both the Chairperson and the Committee would together draft the progress report.

The Chairperson considered the objectives that the Committee had set for themselves. She said that one of the objectives was to build the capacity of the members. They had held a workshop in that respect and that objective had therefore been met to some extent. Another objective was to encourage the participation of youth, disabled and children's groups in Committee matters and that objective had also to some extent been met.

Mr Moss said that after every debate it was good for the Committee to assess the debate. When the Committee was told to report back on their tour to the Eastern Cape, they had been caught almost unprepared but had managed to do well in reporting back. The report back was good except for a few issues.

Mr Raju also said that he had been given short notice to report back, about the tour to the Eastern Cape, in the NCOP. He tried to prepare the report but the debate had been called off in the last minute. The Committee went to the Eastern Cape about a year ago but had not been given the opportunity to report back to the NCOP.

The Chairperson took a resolution that the report on the Eastern Cape tour should not be debated. The Committee agreed that they wanted to go to other provinces first and provide a whole picture when they handed a report in to Parliament. She said that she did not know why they were suddenly told to hand in the report but was happy that the report went well in the National Assembly. It is good for the Committee to work as a team and this was also a lesson that people should take responsibility for what they had been mandated to do.

Mr Raju asked why the Chairperson did not comment on the meeting of the NCOP that had been called off.

The Chairperson said she would discuss the matter with Mr Setona, who is the Acting-Chairperson of the NCOP, and get some clearance as to whether the debate was still going to take place or not.

The Chairperson also said that the different political parties should look at which provinces to visit during the next term. In the Committee budget, R 163 000 had been approved for provincial visits. Political parties should look at what the priorities were when deciding which provinces should be visited and the parties should elect members who would go to those provinces.

A member suggested that, considering the report from the Department of Justice on the bad condition in which the juveniles in Westville prison live, the first province that should be visited is KwaZulu/Natal.

Mr Raju supported the idea that KwaZulu-Natal should be visited first.

The Chairperson said that the Committee would look at the priorities they usually considered when determining which province to go to first. She could not guarantee that they would go to KwaZulu-Natal first, as the Committee would have to agree to that.

The Chairperson also said that there had been a request that the Committee engage the Western Cape provincial Health Department on what was happening at Conradie Hospital, as the Committee could not rely on media reports. She suggested the Committee meet with the Department to establish if it still offered the spinal cord treatment in the Western Cape Hospitals. The meeting would be on the 31 of July 2002

Mr Moss said that closure of Conradie Hospital would be a big mistake as it is the only public hospital in South Africa to offer treatment for spinal cord injuries and people would suffer without the hospital.

Ms Ghandhi suggested that since there would be no parliamentary sittings in the last week of July, the Committee should set aside a whole day to meet with the MEC for Health in the Western Cape, Prison directors as well as the Ministry of correctional services.

The Chairperson asked which specific people should be called during that day.

Mr Moss suggested they invite the Director or the person who is in charge of juvenile education in prisons. He said that they should be more specific when inviting these people and should invite people who are involved in juvenile matters in prisons.

Ms Gandhi suggested that Judge Fagen of the Fagen commission should be invited as well to the meeting.

Ms Newhoudt-Druchen (ANC) said that when the OSDP gave a report to the Committee the members of the Committee were not satisfied by the report. She asked if they could be given the report.

The Chairperson replied that the presenter of the report could not make the decision as to whether to give the report documents out in his capacity as a Deputy-Director, but that the Director would come and present the documents himself.

The meeting was adjourned.