Chairperson, this is a report on the oversight visit to the Western Cape for three departments, namely Health, Social Development and Home Affairs. The Select Committee on Social Services undertook the study tour to the Western Cape province from the 31 July to 4 August 2006. The purpose of the study tour was for the committee to exercise its oversight function as mandated by the Constitution.
The primary objectives of the provincial visit included conducting oversight over the management and quality of services rendered in respect of Social Development, Health and Home Affairs; inspecting various health, social development and home affairs facilities in order to determine the state of physical infrastructure and equipment; and identifying progress made and challenges that are being experienced by all the stakeholders.
Regarding social development, one of the facilities which the committee visited was the Sarepta old age home in Kuils River and the following was observed and found at the home: The facility has a staff component of 52, consisting of 33 nursing staff, 16 general workers, one administrative officer, one secretary and one manager.
The facility manager stated that all the grant payments of residents are paid to the facility. This translates to an amount of R840 by 146 residents, which equals R122 640 per month. Other sources of financial income are obtained from donations and fund-raising events. The state subsidy is the largest financial support to the facility. The total subsidy transfer to the facility for the period from April 2005 to March 2006 amounted to R1,9 million.
The delegation raised concerns regarding the conditions under which these residents are living in the facility, the reason being that as the delegation toured the facility they found that the blankets under which the residents were sleeping were tattered and ragged, and that there was a lack of monitoring and evaluation by the Department of Social Services.
With regard to the SA Social Security Agency, Sassa, service delivery improvement initiatives were embarked upon by Sassa, which included their application turnaround time. With regard to the visit to the local Sassa offices, the committee was pleased to see that the turnaround time in the Bellville local office has been minimised, and that it is expected to be rolled out to the Worcester and Atlantis local offices, and is envisaged to be implemented at 13 other local offices.
At the Worcester local office the delegation found that Sassa staff and the staff of the provincial department of social development were sharing office space, which was insufficient. Another issue which raised concern was the fact that the files of beneficiaries were lying on the floor where they are kept because of the lack of space in the offices. The Western Cape has identified and prioritised the Worcester local office to be relocated to another building.
Achievements in the office include the implementation of the turnaround time for applications. The increased accessibility of services includes the extension of service points, especially in Montagu, and the extension of home visits, for example to old age homes and institutions, the disabled and elderly, as well as bedridden people. The office is open for longer hours and on Saturdays to accommodate beneficiaries from rural farming areas. An awareness programme in the area with regard to money lenders, misuse of grants, etc, has been launched.
Regarding the Department of Health, the delegation met with the MEC of Health Mr Pierre Uys, who informed the delegation that a budget of R230 million has been set aside for emergency medical services in the province, and he further noted that the assistance of volunteers in the emergency medical services alleviates some of the constraints.
The delegation visited the Gugulethu KTC Day Hospital, Langa Washington Clinic and the Michael Maphongwana Community Health Centre in Khayelitsha.
At the Langa Washington Clinic the facility manager informed the delegation that the availability of space is a major concern at the clinic and that there was a shortage of staff. When the delegation arrived at Michael Maphongwana Community Health Centre at 12:30 in the afternoon the waiting room was full to capacity - approximately 150 people were waiting to be assisted.
The delegation also visited the Eben Dnges Hospital in Worcester, and the hospital is currently undergoing a revitalisation phase, which will be completed in 2008. It will be bigger, with new equipment. In the new outpatient clinic, patients will be able to access doctors, therapists, social workers and counsellors, and the trauma centre will be open 24 hours a day. The delegation was assured that no patient needing emergency medical attention will be turned away. The delegation was informed that a casualty wing, a new outpatients department and a new training centre will be added to the main hospital.
The delegation also visited the George Hospital. A major revitalisation process has been completed at the George Regional Hospital recently. The major medical facility serves as a regional hospital for the Southern Cape and Karoo region, as well as a district hospital for the George area.
The project focused on the improvement of the hospital's infrastructure and technology. The hospital superintendent informed the delegation that the hospital would like to have a private ward, but owing to bed pressure it would be impossible to do so. She further noted that the hospital did attract private patients and patients who had medical aid, who shared the wards with state patients and she noted that the facilities were so good that they could not actually complain.
With regard to Home Affairs, the delegation visited the Worcester local offices and challenges in the region included the following: to keep rendering the service at mobile points; to expedite the processing of enabling document applications; to provide the relevant training to officials; to secure suitable additional accommodation for the current and new additional staff, and to get uniformity in the application of the Immigration Amendment Act and the Births and Deaths Registration Act.
Achievements include the establishment of permanent service points and mobile venues in the regions, capacitation of offices in the regions, and rendering services to the poorest of the poor in remote areas with the two mobile trucks.
Before coming to recommendations, there are challenges in terms of where Home Affairs keeps illegal foreigners prior to their deportation. All illegal foreigners are kept temporarily in police stations in the Southern Cape for 48 hours. They are transferred to the Prince Albert Correctional Service Centre within 48 hours. Prince Albert is our detention facility where illegal foreigners await their deportation. Prince Albert is about 150 km from George. The centre is 140 km from the George office. The centre is specifically assigned to accommodate illegal foreigners only. Before they could be moved to the centre, they were being accommodated at the George Correctional Centre, which was not a suitable place. Cases of assault against the foreigners were registered. The detained are deported out of the Southern Cape twice a month in a joint operation with the Immigration Inspectorate of Cape Town. I thank you.
Debate concluded.
I shall now put the question. The question is that the report be adopted. As the decision is dealt with in terms of section 65 of the Constitution, I shall first ascertain whether all delegation heads are present in the Chamber to cast their provinces' votes.
In accordance with Rule 71, I shall first allow provinces the opportunity to make declarations of vote if they so wish. Any province that wants to do that? None.
We shall now proceed to the voting on the question. I shall do this in alphabetical order per province. Delegation heads must please indicate to the Chair whether they vote in favour of or against, or abstain from voting. Eastern Cape?
Eastern Cape supports.
Free State?
Vrystaat ondersteun. [Free State supports.]
Gauteng?
Gauteng supports.
KwaZulu-Natal?
KwaZulu-Natal votes in favour.
Limpopo?
Limpopo votes in favour.
Mpumalanga?
Mpumalanga supports.
Northern Cape?
Die Noord-Kaap ondersteun. [The Northern Cape supports.]
North West?
Ke ya rona. [We support.]
Western Cape?
Die Wes-Kaap ondersteun. [The Western Cape supports.]
Report accordingly adopted in accordance with section 65 of the Constitution.