I'll now call upon hon Mayende-Sibiya. Hon members, may I ask that we give her a chance to speak from where she is seated?
Can I amend your proposal, Chairperson?
Yes.
I want to amend what you've proposed; - I'm not disagreeing with you. We further allow the Minister to deliver her speech seated because we got her apology last time.
Thank you. Is it accepted?
HON MEMBERS: Yes!
Thank you.
The MINISTER OF WOMEN, CHILDREN AND PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES: Deputy Chairperson, hon members of the NCOP, it is a great honour for me to present to you the first Budget Vote of the Ministry of Women, Children and People with Disabilities. In doing so, I would like to address a few key issues.
Firstly, I would like to outline the mandate of the Ministry to ensure that our debate this morning is informed by what we are committing to deliver against this mandate.
Secondly, I would like to talk about key focus areas that have been allocated to the Ministry from the 12 outcome or performance areas of government. I believe that Parliament has a crucial role to play in monitoring our performance against the task assigned to us as Ministers. There is also extensive work relating to our regional and international obligations as a country that I believe the NCOP should be aware of.
I will end with the acknowledgement of the various role-players and entities that have supported and worked with us in the first year of this Ministry, of which the NCOP is one such institution.
When announcing his Cabinet in May last year, President Jacob Zuma said this Ministry was being created to protect the rights of and enhance development opportunities for women, children and people with disabilities.
The President further magnified our role at the celebration of National Women's Day last year when he said this Ministry -
... will monitor other government departments to ensure the mainstreaming of gender, children's rights, and disability considerations into all programmes of government and other sectors. This will help government to respond to issues of these targeted groups in an integrated and coherent manner.
Again, in outlining the programme of action of government during the state of the nation address this year, the President emphasised the need -
... to integrate gender equity measures into the government's programme of action. This action will and ensure that women, children and persons with disabilities can access developmental opportunities.
It is important to outline this mandate in order to appropriately locate and respond to the varying expectations with regard to the work of the Ministry which arose in our consultation with Parliament and stakeholders in the three sectors, namely women, children and persons with disabilities. Women expect us to facilitate their socioeconomic development, be it through poverty alleviation programmes or fighting for gender equality at all levels of the workplace. People with disabilities want equal access to development opportunities and the realisation of their social rights. Children want protection against the violation of many of their rights, and an opportunity to grow to their full potential.
These are some of the expectations that have influenced and will continue to influence our strategic direction and areas of focus as the Ministry and Department of Women, Children and People with Disabilities. We have to carry out our mandate of oversight and mainstreaming, while at the same time responding to the challenges facing our three constituencies. I must emphasise that these challenges require immediate action on our part as the Ministry.
To actualise our mandate, which originates from the resolution of the Polokwane conference of the ANC, we have, over the past year, focused on building systems and processes which will enable this entity to effectively carry out its mandate. The former Offices on the Status of Women, Rights of the Child and Rights of Persons with Disabilities have been incorporated into the new department.
The Commission for Gender Equality, CGE, is another entity that now falls under our scope of work as the Ministry. Members are aware of the serious challenges facing the CGE. We are engaging with the CGE to provide the necessary leadership and support to address the various challenges facing the organisation. We have to ensure that the CGE carries out its mandate as an important Chapter 9 institution focused on issues of gender in our country.
We have made much progress in building the internal systems and capacity of this Ministry and the department over the past year. Part of this groundwork has been the mobilisation of human and other resources needed for the implementation of our programme.
Our organogram, with the staff complement of 195, has been approved by the Department of Public Service and Administration. We have since advertised some of the posts that are scheduled to be filled in the 2010-11 financial year. These include, among other things, the posts of a director-general and three deputy directors-general responsible for each sector-specific branch. Those sectors are, of course, women, children, and people with disabilities.
All three branches of the department will put in place monitoring and evaluation systems with measurable indicators that are responsive to gender, the rights of children and persons with disabilities. This will ensure that our oversight function leads to the integration of sector- specific equity measures in government programmes. These branches will also seek to mainstream norms and standards relating to their sector throughout all spheres of government. We will be revising policy frameworks relevant to each sector, including the National Policy Framework for Women's Empowerment and Gender Equality; Draft National Policy for the Advancement of Children's Rights; National Plan of Action for Children; and the National Policy on Disability.
This revision is necessary to align policy framework with the changes in institutional arrangements and co-ordination mechanisms. We are planning to strengthen our capacity to co-ordinate activities of the special programmes units located in the premier's offices in various provinces and focal points in various departments to ensure that our programmes have an impact across the country and in all sectors.
The Special Programmes Unit in the Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Cogta, which is responsible for this work at a municipal level, is being transferred to our department to provide that critical link with local government.
The budget allocated to the department is limited compared to the magnitude of the task of transforming our society for the benefit of women, children and persons with disabilities. It is, however, the policy of our government to mainstream the programmes throughout the government system.
We ask the NCOP to approve the budget, cognisant of the intention to discuss how priority programmes can be relocated to the Ministry of Women, Children and People with Disabilities. That is the discussion which should occur at a policy level. This discussion should inform the adjustments budget process later this year, which should result in an enhanced resource allocation.
Partnerships are being strengthened with various players to make sure that these budget limitations do not hamper our ability to improve the lives of women, children and persons with disabilities. We are establishing relationships with both the business sector, which has some resources, and civil society organisations that are dedicating a lot of energy to improving the plight of the vulnerable groups in our society.
As you know, government has 12 outcome areas that are used to monitor and evaluate our work as Ministries. I have been allocated three of those 12 outcome areas: a long and healthy life for all South Africans; support for an inclusive growth path; and an empowered, fair and inclusive citizenship.
Poverty continues to bear a disproportionately female face. Maternal and child mortality are still at a high level, and women are more likely to be infected with HIV and affected by Aids than men. We are working with the Department of Health to ensure that government delivers on this key outcome area of a long and healthy life for all South Africans.
We will be utilising the opportunity of the review of the Millennium Development Goals, MDGs, in July this year to ensure that there is a stronger focus on reducing poverty and improving the health status of women, children and persons with disabilities.
The Ministry of Women, Children and People with Disabilities, therefore, fully supports the HIV testing initiative, as well as the immunisation campaign currently under way. We want to ensure that women, children and persons with disabilities participate in their numbers to protect their health.
We are also working with the Department of Health and other role-players towards universal access to assistive devices that are essential for independent living and participation in social and economic activities. The success of our economy depends on our ability to build a healthy nation today and for generations to come.
On the second outcome, which is inclusive economic growth, we will be focusing on ensuring that there is economic empowerment for women and people with disabilities. For this financial year, we are focusing on the development of the Gender Equality Bill, including 50-50 parity.
It is critical that we address this matter. We have made progress in women's representation in national and provincial legislatures, and endeavours are being made within the Public Service to increase the number of women at various levels.
The reports we are receiving indicate that in the private sector and in some civil society structures women are not making the necessary headway. The recent census conducted by Businesswomen's Association of South Africa, Bwasa, indicates that by September 2009 there were still 73 companies listed on the JSE that did not have even a single woman on their boards of directors. At least 26 of these companies did not have a single woman at executive management level.
Predictions from the census are that if we continue at the current rate, we will only achieve 50-50 gender parity at board level in 20 years; and at executive management level, it will take us another 40 years. This worrying situation with regard to the process of transformation is confirmed by separate findings of Business Unity South Africa, Busa, and the Commission for Employment Equity.
That is why we need a legislative framework with enforcement mechanisms to make sure that women's participation is enhanced at all levels. Amongst persons with disabilities, these efforts will focus on ensuring that the 2% employment equity target is met.
We will also be working within the existing frameworks such as the Broad- Based Black Economic Empowerment Act and the Employment Equity Act, to ensure that current equity targets for women and persons with disabilities are met.
We will have consultations with organised labour, private sector organisations and other stakeholders as part of our campaign to advocate for the 50-50 gender parity principle and 2% employment equity target for persons with disabilities.
We are aware that our economy is not absorbing the unemployed at the pace at which we would like it to. We are, therefore, working towards the establishment of an empowerment fund that should facilitate the economic empowerment and development of women and persons with disabilities.
A study released by the University of Johannesburg last week once again highlights the challenges of poverty affecting persons with disabilities. It states that persons with disabilities remain excluded from the labour market and are having difficulty accessing government social services. We have been assigned to develop a concept paper on the empowerment of persons with disabilities. We expect this paper to address issues of economic participation and strengthen the social security net for persons with disabilities.
We are working together with the Department of Labour on a project to create sheltered employment for persons with disabilities. This project has the capacity to create up to 2 000 permanent jobs and increase skills development for persons with disabilities.
You should expect a lot of activity by our department in the area of poverty alleviation and economic empowerment of women and persons with disabilities because that is what we have committed ourselves to through the monitoring and evaluation process.
The third outcome area is the development of an empowered, fair and inclusive citizenship. This is an area where we need massive mobilisation of all sectors of our society and an outreach to all the nine provinces of our country. In this area, we will be focusing on the implementation of the review findings and recommendations on the Domestic Violence Act and the sexual offences Act.
Violence against women and girls remains a challenge both globally and in South Africa. In line with the UN Secretary-General's UNiTE to End Violence against Women campaign, we are intensifying our initiative of a dedicated, comprehensive and integrated programme on the 365 Day National Action Plan to End Gender Violence. This would include the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence against Women and Children campaign.
We are focusing on challenges such as rape, murder, human trafficking and forced prostitution affecting women and children. It is under this outcome area that we are criss crossing the country and addressing various issues affecting women, children and persons with disabilities.
We are very concerned about the abuses that are being reported in schools for children with special needs. We will be conducting an audit of the situation in these schools and will initiate the appropriate action to stop these cases of abuse.
In view of the 2010 Fifa World Cup, we need to raise awareness on the possible risk of violation of children's rights. We are launching the Children's Rights and Responsibilities Development Programme for the 2010 Fifa World Cup and beyond. The launch will be held here in Parliament on 1 June 2010. We will use this launch also to commemorate International Children's Day and the Day of the African Child.
The main objective of the launch will be to empower children and communities on children's rights and responsibilities.
Hon Minister, please conclude.
The MINISTER OF WOMEN, CHILDREN AND PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES: The main objective of the launch will be to empower our children. Citizens, families and communities should speak out on these issues.
We will also be joining all stakeholders to ensure that hotspot areas for violation of the rights of children and women are cleared. As a result, we will be launching the Masego Kgomo Park in Soshanguve, Tshwane, in memory of the little girl who was brutally murdered during the festive season last year.
As I conclude, I thank the NCOP for this opportunity to present this budget and everybody, all structures, Cabinet, and the Presidency. I thank the NCOP again for the support given to us during the previous year. Thank you very much. [Applause.]
Chairperson, hon Minister, hon members, distinguished guests, women in their various capacities are found across all class and national permutations.
As workers they bear the greatest burden of super-exploitation and poverty. As survivalist micro entrepreneurs, they are called upon to provide these values to working-class communities under unbearable conditions. As middle strata and business-persons, they are compelled to hew their way through the jungle of male-dominated professions and environments.
In the home, they carry the burden of nurturing families and are forced to reproduce relations of patriarchy. In these challenging anomalies, along with progressive men women form in gender terms the bedrock of the construction of a caring nation.
Women, children and persons with disabilities have for far too along suffered undue hardship, due to the lasting legacy of apartheid, entrenched patriarchy and perpetual discrimination. It is therefore critical that official programmes should directly address the needs of these socially vulnerable groups, in line with the need for social spending, eradication of poverty and job creation.
The main objective of this programme should be to strengthen women's empowerment, gender equality, and children's rights and responsibilities, as well as the rights and equality of persons with disabilities. The ANC's 52nd national conference in Polokwane specifically resolved to give serious consideration to the establishment of a women's Ministry. It also recommended the equalisation of opportunities, lifelong learning and economic opportunities for persons with disabilities, and that the best interests of children should be paramount and prioritised.
The intention to establish the Ministry of Women, Children and People with Disabilities was in recognition of the realisation that the operating authority and budget of the former Offices on the Status of Women, the Rights of the Child and the Status of People with Disabilities in the Presidency had not been adequate for providing the necessary strategic leadership and management of the issues affecting these groups.
The new department amalgamates the functions of the three offices mentioned and is more streamlined in its approach to the needs of the socially vulnerable groups under its mandate. This will be achieved through the housing of all three socially vulnerable groups, and the dovetailing of policies and programmes, as opposed to the offices that previously operated independently of each other.
The intention is also to ensure that each of the three areas has the necessary authority to interact effectively with government and civil society, secure critical competencies and technical skills and advance equality, empowerment and the development of women, children and people with disabilities. The aim is to drive, accelerate and oversee government's equity, equality and empowerment agenda for the three designated groups.
The priorities outlined by the new department speak to some of those outlined in President Jacob Zuma's 2010 state of the nation address, particularly as they relate to improved performance monitoring and evaluation and improved access to rights and developmental opportunities for women, children and persons with disabilities.
Furthermore, the focus on the protection of the rights of persons infected with and affected by HIV and Aids, as a priority area, synergises the increased focus, as outlined by the President in his state of the nation address.
While increased spending on health and social services, education and infrastructural development will also impact positively on women, children and persons with disabilities in general, no explicit mention is made of resource measures to specifically improve the lives of these socially vulnerable groups.
The President also highlighted the integration of gender equity measures into the government's programme of action and key allocations in relation to women, children and persons with disabilities. This relates to increased resources for HIV and Aids programmes and increases in the child support and disability grants, as well as increased resources allocated to education.
I am therefore particularly pleased with the intention to place special emphasis on facilitating access to the rights and development opportunities for women, children and people with disabilities, especially in poor and rural communities, in relation to the protection of the rights of HIV and Aids infected and affected people in the three groups. There will also be a focus on ensuring that issues affecting women, children and people with disabilities become part of the broader African agenda. Expenditure of the previous Offices on the Status of Women, the Rights of the Child and the Status of People with Disabilities, situated in the Presidency, grew at an average annual rate of 11,2% between 2006-07 and 2009-10. It grew from R49,6 million to R68,2 million. We do note the vast difference between the department's estimates and the actual appropriation by Treasury.
Apart from the increase in the women's empowerment and gender equality programme as a result of the transfer of the Commission for Gender Equality to the department under discussion from Justice and Constitutional Development, the reasons for these increases and decreases in programme allocations are unclear.
One would have hoped that more resources would have been allocated to mainstreaming and integrating the rights of women, children and persons with disabilities, thereby fast-tracking the interests of these traditionally marginalised and vulnerable groups.
Allocations have trebled from what was previously allocated, but in terms of improving the functioning and outputs from what had been achieved under the previous offices, logic dictates that far more resources need to be made available. If the previous offices were impeded from delivering on their mandates by inadequate human and financial resources, it is questionable whether the situation has improved in real terms, taking into account the limited financial resources and human resource capacity of the new department. The ongoing transformation of the state is meant to ensure that the process of identifying weaknesses and correcting them will be intensified. This includes engendering new cultures and practices and ensuring that state institutions reflect the demographics of the country including appropriate representation of women, children and persons with disabilities.
However, we realise that, given that the department has been established only recently, it is not possible to directly compare budgetary increases or decreases with the previous years' allocations. We also realise that the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework for the next three years seeks to steer the culture in the Public Service towards greater prudence and efficiency. We realise that, given the shortfall in government revenue collection and the pressure on the available resources of the fiscus, this year's budget preparation has focused on redirecting expenditure towards key priorities, of which women and children form part.
The President stressed in the 2010 state of the nation address that the need to integrate gender equity measures into the government's programme of action will ensure that women, children and persons with disabilities can access development opportunities.
With this reassurance, we are confident that the main objective of the Department of Women, Children and People with Disabilities will be to take the lead in formulating and driving the ANC-led government's strategic agenda in relation to women's empowerment and gender equality, children's rights and responsibilities and the rights and equality of persons with disabilities.
This Ministry is set to become the driver of the government's strategic agenda in regard to women's empowerment and gender equality, children's rights and responsibilities and the rights and equality of persons with disabilities. The ANC supports Budget Vote No 7 of Women, Children and People with Disabilities. I thank you. [Applause.]
Deputy Chairperson, hon Minister, MECs present and hon members, firstly, I would like to thank the department for their budget presentation and the parliamentary research unit for their input.
As has already been stated, this is a brand-new department and replaces the previous, somewhat dysfunctional Office on the Status of Women, Office on the Rights of the Child and Office on the Status of Disabled Persons.
These departments were all previously situated in the Presidency, in the hope of giving strategic direction and leadership to the various programmes focusing on women, children and persons with disabilities.
The new department, considering its scope, objectives and targeted groups, has received the smallest allocation of all the Ministries. The department has a total budget allocation for 2010 and 2011 of only R97,8 million, with Programme 2 - Women's Empowerment, Programme 3 - Children's Rights and Responsibilities, and Programme 4 - Rights of People with Disabilities, receiving only some R7,1 million each.
Deputy Chairperson, who can forget the disabled children that we visited at the Le Rena Re A Gona project on our visit to Limpopo province? Who can forget the children, lying on a blanket on a concrete floor, who are visited perhaps only once a month by an occupational therapist?
Children with disabilities who live in abject poverty are particularly vulnerable to hunger and environmental barriers, such as housing, and the budget must speak to the needs of children with mobility impairments and those who make use of wheelchairs.
One of the largest portions of the budget, however, is in respect of gender equality, and is taken up by the transfer payments from the Commission for Gender Equality - a Chapter 9 institution - of some R49,1 million. Whilst I believe an attempt is being made to clean up the mess at the Gender commission, a report on the gender body in a newspaper stated -
... there is no culture of gender work in [this] organisation. In fact there is no organisation at all.
The report further states that the perception of the commission was poor. It had mismatched human resource capacity, poor programme design, fragmented leadership at the commissioner level and poor, noncompliant financial systems, resulting in a disclaimer in the audit report.
Some of the reports of the programmes previously located in the Presidency and the audited financial statements have, as yet, not been provided to the committee. As such, it is difficult to ascertain whether any debts have been inherited by the new department from the former offices.
Programme 1 - Administration constitutes 25% of the total budget appropriation. Considering that this is a new department - and initial costs such as operations and support systems, recruitment of staff, capital expenditure, and the setting up of IT infrastructure are included - this expenditure may be justifiable in this financial year. But the department cannot appropriate anywhere near this amount for 2011-12 or 2012-13, as the administrative costs would then continue to consume the most significant portion of the department's resources.
It is of concern that so few resources have been allocated to mainstreaming and integrating the rights of women, children and persons with disabilities, thus marginalising these already vulnerable groups. Thus, despite the needs and rights of these groups having been elevated to ministerial level, the financial human resource allocations indicate that they are still relegated to the bottom of the barrel.
The department will not be able to effectively implement this mandate due to its financial constraints, but has chosen rather to fund catalyst projects which are already being implemented by other departments. The department intends working across all departments as well as all spheres of government. The bulk of the resources, therefore, continues to be within the other departments, NGOs and the private sector.
The aim of the newly established Department of Women, Children and People with Disabilities is to drive, accelerate and oversee government's equity, equality and empowerment agendas.
In my home province, the Free State, the situation is so bad that the provincial government and in particular the department of social development, has been taken to court twice in one year because the department has not paid sufficient subsidies to institutions that are responsible for the poorest of the poor in the child and youth centres, let alone to children with disabilities. It is imperative that the funds that are transferred to the National Youth Development Agency be monitored on an ongoing basis. The agency - which takes up a large portion of the programme budget - must be held to account on the use of funds transferred to it and the lessons learnt by its predecessors, namely the National Youth Commission and the Umsobomvu Youth Fund, which were previously located in the Department of Labour.
The mainstreaming of youth development cannot be undertaken without the appropriate ...
Excuse me, hon member. Just hold on.
Let me just conclude. The Department of Women, Children and People ...
Before you conclude, hon member, can you just ...
Chairperson, I want you to note to the member that he is out of order because this debate is on women, children and persons with disabilities and it has nothing to do with what he is saying now. That is, the issue of Umsobomvu, or the youth agency is not part of this debate.
Hon Harris?
Chair, Rule 33 states that a member may not interrupt another member who is addressing the Chair. Now, I am not sure what the Chief Whip was intending there, but that was not a point of order. She was simply interrupting the member, and was therefore in breach of Rule 33. Can you please rule on whether the Chief Whip is in breach of Rule 33?
May I then ask that we proceed?
Chair, I must ...
We take note of what has now been put forward ...
... and you will rule later?
I will rule later. Continue, hon Worth.
Thank you, Deputy Chair. Parliament should consistently evaluate these new Ministries against their stipulated aims, allocated budgets and outcomes.
The new Ministry has tremendous challenges in terms of improving service and co-ordination through better planning. Women empowerment and gender equality is central for poverty eradication and the development of human potential. The Department for Women, Children and People with Disabilities and relevant stakeholders owe it to the nation to make a difference to the daily lives of our people, especially in the poor and rural communities of South Africa. I thank you.
Deputy Chairperson, hon Minister and hon members, one takes pride that for the first time in the history of South Africa our council is convening to consider a budget allocated to the most vulnerable of our society. As the ANC, we are proud because this budget is clearly expressing our nation's commitment to advancing the needs of women, children and people with disabilities.
It is a statement indicating that we have broken with the past and are on the path to prosperity. It is decisive and a reassurance to our people that we should remain committed to our nation with regard to great prospects of social, economic and political equity of all its citizens.
Without a shred of doubt, we would like to indicate that we are welcoming this gender-sensitive budget and its strategic focus in leaving no stone unturned in seeking more ways of ensuring that the lives of the most vulnerable sectors of our population are changed for the better.
As has already been indicated, you will remember that the department was established after the inauguration of President Jacob Zuma. This was after a comprehensive political review by the ANC and Parliament that showed the previous structures that were put in place in order to protect women were severely constricted by complex institutional arrangements and a lack of adequate resources. The ANC envisages that the new department will drive government's strategic agenda for meeting the needs and challenges facing women, children and people with disabilities.
Women, children and people with disabilities in South Africa were very vulnerable and rendered helpless by a racially orchestrated system that was designed to keep them in the homelands and townships. They were faced with discriminatory legislation, practices and policies, which restricted their participation and empowerment in most spheres of life.
The demise of the apartheid state in 1994 echoed deliberate efforts by the ANC to systematically dismantle apartheid and create a democratic society based on the principles of equity, nonracialism and nonsexism. The ANC committed itself to addressing the needs of the most vulnerable sectors of our society, and ensuring the advancement of the lives of women, particularly those in rural areas.
Without a doubt, we would like to indicate that we remain committed and are on course in ensuring that women are also beneficiaries of all programmes and initiatives that are geared toward redressing the legacy of apartheid in our society. We are saying this because, as the ANC, we saw the advancement and empowerment of women and changing the lives of people with disabilities as the cornerstone of the struggle for equality in our society.
The Ministry is one of the many visible symbols that have made a declaration to our people that our nation is no longer regarding gender issues and gender equality as peripheral. Hence, we are welcoming the development of the Gender Equality Bill which the Minister mentioned in her speech. It is a visible symbol of progress that clearly indicates that the conditions of women, children and people with disabilities have radically changed for the better.
It is a political declaration showing the people of South Africa that the ANC remains even more committed to placing the issues and conditions of vulnerable groups at the very centre of our transformative agenda for an equal, nonsexist and nondiscriminatory South Africa. Despite many interventions by the government, women, children and people with disabilities are still facing the harshest conditions in the workplace, on the streets of their communities, and behind the closed doors of their homes.
The position of women in the economy remains weak, as the majority of them battle with job insecurity and low employment levels. Women are continuing to enter the labour force at the lowest level of organisational establishments. Statistics from Census 2001 and labour force surveys conducted in 2000, 2001 and 2002 highlight women's over representation in casual, part-time, seasonal and temporary work.
As the ANC, we are concerned that despite those changes the Department of Women, Children and People with Disabilities has been allocated a mere R97,8 million. This allocation constituted 0,02% of the total appropriation of all departmental Votes and is the smallest allocation of them all. In total, 22% of the department's budget has been allocated to the programme for women, children and persons with disabilities, with the remainder being spent on administration and the transferring of payments to the Commission for Gender Equality.
As far as the implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women, Cedaw, the 365 days national plan, the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children, and so forth, is concerned, the budget will not be able to cater for all of them. Although the allocations have increased substantially from what was previously allocated to the Offices on the Status of Women, the Rights of Children and on the Status of Disabled People, this is still inadequate in terms of improving the functioning and output of what had been achieved under these previous offices. Much more would need to be made available in the way of resources.
The effects of the insufficient resources allocated to this Ministry are clearly visible in the provinces where structures that previously drove its mandate are left with grossly underresourced offices. We are also concerned that the department's allocations did not show any allocation for intersectoral liaison and interaction. The ANC believes that together we can do more, therefore nothing must be done without the voices of those affected.
We would like to request the Minister to consider requesting the National Treasury to allocate some resources towards engaging the relevant sectors, particularly NGOs. We are saying this because we know that NGOs are playing a crucial role in articulating government's policies and educating our people about their rights and obligations as democratic citizens. Nongovernmental organisations are playing an important role in assisting government to identify the challenges facing our people and seeking better ways to resolve them.
We welcome this budget, but also reassure this House that the ANC will always remain committed to the advancement of the lives of the marginalised sector of our society. We will continue engaging with the government to ensure that the vulnerable sectors of our society are prioritised in the allocation of government resources. I thank you.
UMntwana M M M ZULU: Phini likaSihlalo wale Ndlu, mam' uMemela mhonishwa Ngqongqoshe, malunga ahloniphekile ale Ndlu, ngithi kuleli lizwekazi, lapha eNingizimu Afrika sijatshuliswa ukuthi kuyaye kuxoxwe obala ngazo zonke izabiwomali zeMinyango, ukuze bonke abantu bazi ukuthi kwenzekani.
Nakuba sikwesekela ukuba khona kwalo Mnyango kodwa kukhona izinto ezithile ezingenza ngibe nokungabaza - kufana nalesi sabiwomali esinikezwe uMnyango wakho. Ngalokho ngifisa ukwazi ukuthi uyokwazi yini ukufeza lezi zidingo zabo bonke laba bantu bakithi abahluphekile baseNingizimu Afrika na?
Okunye futhi ukuthi lezo zinqubo noma izinhlelo zoMnyango ozibekele ukuthi zisize laba bantu bakithi abampofu kanye nalabo ababedla izambane likapondo emiphakathini yethu, ngifisa ukwazi ukuthi ingabe lesi sabiwomali osinikeziwe esingu-R156 wezigidi kuleminyaka emithathu ezayo, sanele yini?
Angiboni ukuthi uzokwazi ukufeza izidingo zabantu ngaphandle kwalezi ziNdlu Ezimbili ngoba zona kufanele zikwazi ukukwelekelela ukuthi usize abantu bakithi abampofu. Ngoba ngiyazi ukuthi uma kwenziwa inqubongomo njengoba kunguMnyango omusha nje, yonke leyonto kuba yingxenye yomsebenzi okhona kanti futhi ngiyazi ukuthi kunomthelela omkhulu ezimalini okufanele uzisebenzise ukuze kusizakale izwe lakithi lonke.
Okunye futhi engikukhathalele yikuthi ngiyazi ukuthi ukulingana ngokobulili obebukade bukhona sonke lesi sikhathi okumanje isifakwe phansi koMnyango wakho, ngizocela impela ukuthi njengeqembu leNkatha ukuthi welekelelwe ngayo yonke indlela ngokuthi inkece ibekhona. Ngoba ngiyazi ukuthi ukuhlupheka kwethu kubhekene nenselele yezingane ezihlukunyezwayo, omkethu abahlukunyezwayo, kanti futhi ubhekene nabo bonke labantu abakhubazekile. Futhi nezinto zokuhamba ezenele azikabibikho kuleli lizwe ezikwazi ukuthi zisize laba bantu abangakwazi ukuzihambela ngenxa yokukhubazeka kwabo.
Kepha thina njengeqembu leNkatha sizosesekela lesi sabiwomali ngoba sizofeza izidingo zabantu nakuba nginokungabaza ukuthi kungase kwenzeke lokho ngenxa yobuncane bemali oyinikeziwe. Kuyimfanelo ukuthi lezi ziNdlu zikhumbule ukuthi uma usugxekwa kusasa, akwaziwe ukuthi ugxekwa nje ube wanikezwa uzuka esikhundleni sokuthi unikezwe usheleni. Ngithi-ke egameni leqembu leNkatha siyasesekela lesi sabiwomali sakho. Sikufisela inhlanhla nokuthi uMnyango wakho ukwazi ukusimama kanti futhi ubheke nezigebengu ukuthi zingadli kakhulu kulenkecana engekho. Ngiyabonga. (Translation of isiZulu speech follows.)
[Prince M M M ZULU: Deputy Chairperson of this House, hon mama uMemela, hon Minister, hon members of this House, what I am saying to this continent is that what excites us here in South Africa is that all the departmental Budget Votes are always dealt with openly. It is done in this way so that everybody knows what is taking place in the departments.
Although we support the existence of this department, there are some issues which are a cause for concern for me - like the budget that is allocated to your department. I would therefore like to know whether you will be able meet all the needs of all the impoverished South Africans?
Another thing I want clarity on is whether the budget of R156 million that has been allocated to you for a period of three years will be enough to have those processes or programmes running which are set aside by the department to assist both our poor people and those who were rich within our communities.
I am not sure whether you will be able to accomplish your mission without the help of these joint Houses because they must be able to assist you in helping our poor people. I know that when a policy like this is drafted, since this is a new department, all that will be part of the same work that exists and I also know that that has a major impact on the funds which you are supposed to use in order to improve the standard of living of the whole nation.
One other thing that concerns me is that I know that the concept of gender equality has always existed and it has now been incorporated into your department. As the IFP we request that you be assisted in any way possible to receive the necessary funds to do your work. I am aware that we are faced with the challenge of assisting abused children and abused wives and that you are also dealing with people who are living with disabilities. There is also not sufficient transport for these people who cannot walk on their own as a result of their disabilities.
But we, as the IFP, are going to support this budget because it will meet the needs of our people although I still have doubts as to whether that will be possible due to the small allocation you received. It is a matter of necessity for these two Houses that they should remember that, should you be blamed in future, it should be borne in mind that you are falsely blamed because you were allocated 5 cents instead of 10 cents. I am saying this on behalf of the IFP; we support this budget. We also wish you good luck and hope that your department can be stable and be able look out for fraudsters so that they cannot steal the meagre funds you have. Thank you.]
Me C LABUSCHAGNE (Wes-Kaap): Voorsitter, Minister en agb lede, baie dankie vir die geleentheid om vandag aan hierdie debat deel te neem. Hierdie begrotingsdebat vestig weereens die aandag op 'n paar aspekte wat in ons Suid-Afrikaanse konteks deur almal as uiters belangrik, noodsaaklik en onontbeerlik beskou word, naamlik die stand van vroue en kinders in Suid- Afrika, aspekte wat die jeug en hulle toekoms raak, asook aspekte wat persone met gestremdhede verseker dat hulle ten volle deel is van die gemeenskap en die samelewing in Suid-Afrika.
Die skep van 'n nasionale ministerie hiervoor word dus deur die DA en die Wes-Kaap regering verwelkom, aangesien dit noodsaaklik is om bestaande nasionale beleidsraamwerke ten opsigte van vroue, kinders, die jeug en persone met gestremdhede te kordineer, asook om die nuwe beleidsraamwerke, gegrond op weldeurdagte feite en inligting, waar dit toepaslik is te skep, en om, tweedens, bestaande, gefragmenteerde wetgewing te hersien en aan te pas om gentegreerde dienslewering van hierdie aspekte te bespoedig en te vergemaklik, asook om dit binne die hoofstroom te plaas.
Die taak van hierdie ministerie ten opsigte van geslagsgelykheid, jeugsake en persone met gestremdhede kan net begryp word as ons na die stand van hierdie aangeleenthede in ons land kyk. Suid-Afrika word tans gekenmerk deur 'n ho syfer van kinder- en vroueverkragting. Onlangs het die Nasionale Vervolgingsgesag in 'n vergadering wat ek bygewoon het die statistiek gegee dat daar 2 085 sake van seksuele geweld teen vroue en kinders aangemeld is die afgelope ses maande in slegs vier howe in die Wes- Kaap.
Gesprekke met vroue by 'n onderhoudshof in die metropool het aan die lig gebring dat vroue tot twee jaar wag dat onderhoudsake hanteer en afgehandel word. Intussen is dit nie net die vrou nie, maar ook die kinders, wat in gebreke bly ten opsigte van bestaansmiddele. Tans bestaan die opvatting by die gemiddelde vrou dat hierdie stelsel en prosesse van onderhoudshowe die Suid-Afrikaanse vrou faal. Ons doen dus 'n beroep op die Ministerie vir Vroue, Kinders, en Mense met Gestremdhede om indringend ondersoek in te stel na die regstelsels en prosesse om hierdie probleme uit die weg te ruim. Dit is een van die groot oorsake en bydraende faktore van armoede onder 'n groot groep enkellopende vroue.
Wat die jeug betref, is dit onrusbarend dat soveel jeugdiges in Suid-Afrika skool verlaat op 'n vroe ouderdom voordat hulle matrikuleer, en dat daar geen effektiewe stelsel en prosesse bestaan om verdere geleenthede vir hulle te skep om toe te tree tot die arbeidsmark nie. Selfs jongmense wat tersire opleiding ontvang het, kan nie outomaties en met gemak tot die huidige arbeidsmark toetree nie. Genoemde aspekte is slegs bre kategorie van die werklikhede ten opsigte van vroue, kinders, jeugdiges en mense met gestremdhede in Suid-Afrika.
Die problematiek ten opsigte van MIV/Vigs, tienerswangerskappe, kinder- en vrouehandel, eiendomsregte vir die geskeide vrou en die weduwee, asook die veelvuldige behoeftes van gestremdes en bejaardes is aspekte wat nog nie eens aangeraak is nie en wat baie intense en lang debatte behoort te ontlok om genoemde komplekse sosiale, ekonomiese en maatskaplike aspekte aan te spreek dat, soos reeds genoem, beleid en wetgewing in plek moet wees om programme en projekte op nasionale vlak te implementeer, sowel as om provinsiale en plaaslike regeringsvlakke te ondersteun. Dit is dan ook vir my verblydend om te sien dat dit deel is van die mandaat van die nuwe ministerie.
Telkemale word die klem gel op die belangrikheid van die gesin as basis vir 'n gesonde samelewing. Die jeug is die toekoms van ons land, en die wyse waarop gestremdes en ander kwesbare persone hanteer word vergestalt die karakter van 'n nasie. Ten spyte hiervan is gesinsgeweld, verkragting, moord, misdaad, dwelmmisbruik, bendegeweld, tienerswangerskap, en noem maar op, die nuus wat daagliks die koerante se voorblad haal.
Die provinsiale regering van die Wes-Kaap rig dus 'n ernstige versoek aan die Ministerie vir Vroue, Kinders en Mense met Gestremdhede om hulle te beywer om navorsing te doen oor wat die werklike oorsake van die geweld in die Suid-Afrikaanse samelewing is, en om programme en projekte te implementeer op nasionale, provinsiale en plaaslike regeringsvlakke, in samewerking met nie-regeringsorganisasies.
In ons land, wat gekenmerk word deur verskeie mylpale, waarvan die grootste mylpaal gelykheid en vryheid vir almal is wat vervat is in die Grondwet van Suid-Afrika, is dit egter tans ontstellend om te sien dat ons vinnig vordering maak op die pad van volkome vryheid en gelykheid, maar, ten spyte daarvan, dat ons 'n siek nasie is. Ons is emosioneel en geestelik siek, en dit word weerspiel in die hoeveelheid geweld teen vroue en kinders op alle vlakke. Dit is vir my regtig baie jammer, ten spyte van die feit dat ek die begrip "om in die hoofstroom te plaas" verstaan, en dat hierdie aspekte in elke departement self hanteer moet word, dat daar so 'n geringe begroting gegee word aan so 'n belangrike departement. Ons sal graag wil sien dat met die aansuiweringsbegroting daar nog verandering sal wees.
Dit sal vir ons baie jammer wees as die tendens voortduur dat daar gepraat word, dat daar wette geskryf word, en dat daar strukture en raamwerke geskep word om hierdie aspekte aan te spreek, net soos met Maatskaplike Ontwikkeling, maar wanneer dit daarby kom om "to put your money where your mouth is" [daadwerklik op te tree], die begrotings van juis hierdie ministeries gesny word. Die klagtes bly dieselfde en die probleme groei, dus sal die Wes-Kaap regering met groot belangstelling die vordering van hierdie departement dophou om te sien of die huidige regering werklik daad by woord voeg. Die skep van 'n ministerie is 'n wonderlike inisiatief, maar ongelukkig los dit nie die probleme op nie. Die probleme kan nie opgelos word sonder 'n grondige begroting nie.
Voorsitter, die verdere aspek waarna u ook verwys het, is vroue- en kindergesondheid. Een van die mees onrusbarende feite wat aan die lig gekom het en bekend gemaak is deur die Raad vir Geesteswetenskaplike Navorsing, RGN, onder die opskrif "The Health of Women and Children," is dat ten spyte van die feit dat 90% van babas in Suid-Afrika tog in hospitale gebore word, ons sterftesyfer steeds styg. Met ander woorde, 7% van Suid-Afrikaanse kinders haal nie die ouderdom van vyf jaar nie. Wat is die oplossing, of moet ons liewer vra waaraan dit toegeskryf word?
Dit kan slegs toegeskryf word aan die feit dat ons nie gesondheidsorg van 'n ho gehalte in ons hospitale het nie. Ons wil 'n beroep doen op hierdie ministerie om ook na die gesondheid van vroue en kinders in die bre aspek te kyk en hulle te beywer vir gesondheidsorg van 'n beter gehalte in hospitale, veral in die landelike distrikte.
Die provinsiale regering van die Wes-Kaap sou graag wou sien dat die begroting van die Departement van Vroue, Kinders, en Mense met Gestremdhede nie net gespandeer word om 'n raamwerk te skep waarbinne programme en projekte gemplementeer kan word nie, maar dat werklike, praktiese programme en projekte op grondvlak gemplementeer word wat die geleenthede skep vir genoemde gemarginaliseerde groepe, en ook aan hierdie persone die geleentheid gee om ook in hulle gemeenskappe werklik te kan ontwikkel en om bemagtig te word om persoonlike keuses uit te oefen oor hul eie lewenstyl, hul eie loopbaan, en hul eie toekoms.
Laastens wil ek 'n beroep doen dat bemagtiging vergestalting moet kry deur die uitbreiding van menseregte, maar in die vorm van die kweek van verantwoordelikheid. Suid-Afrika is 'n land wat gekenmerk word deur gelykheid en vryheid, en daarom wil ek net vra dat verantwoordelikheid geskep word deur byvoorbeeld 'n manifes vir verantwoordelikheid. Baie dankie en sterkte met u groot taak. [Applouse.] [Tyd verstreke.] (Translation of Afrikaans speech follows.)
[Ms C LABUSCHAGNE (Western Cape): Chairperson, Minister and hon members, thank you for the opportunity to participate in this debate today. This budget debate once again draws attention to a few aspects that in our South African context, are regarded by everyone as extremely important, essential and indispensable, namely the position of women and children in South Africa, aspects which affect the youth and their future, as well as aspects which assure persons with disabilities that in South Africa they are fully part of the community and of society.
The creation of a national Ministry in this regard is therefore welcomed by the DA and the Western Cape government, as it is essential to co-ordinate existing national policy frameworks in respect of women, children, the youth and persons with disabilities, as well as to create, where appropriate, new policy frameworks based on well-considered facts and information, and secondly to review and adapt existing, fragmented legislation to expedite and facilitate integrated service delivery of these aspects, as well as placing them within the mainstream.
This Ministry's task in respect of gender equality, youth issues and people with disabilities can only be understood when we look at the position of these issues in our country. South Africa is currently charactirised by a high rate of rape of children and women. In a meeting which I attended recently, the National Prosecuting Authority released the statistic that in the past six months 2 085 cases of sexual violence against women and children had been reported in just four courts in the Western Cape.
Conversations with women at a maintenance court in the metropole brought to light that women wait up to two years for maintenance cases to be heard and finalised. Meanwhile it is not just the women, but also the children, who are left wanting in respect of means of support. Currently the average women is of the view that the system and processes of maintenance courts are failing the South African woman. We are therefore appealing to the Ministry of Women, Children and People with Disabilities for an intensive investigation of the legal systems and processes in order to remove these problems. It is one of the major causes and contributory factors of poverty among a large group of single women.
As regards the youth, it is alarming that so many youths in South Africa are leaving school at an early age before they have matriculated and that there are no effective systems and processes to create further opportunities for them to enter the job market. Even young people who have received tertiary education cannot automatically and easily enter the current job market. Said aspects are merely broad categories of the realities in South Africa regarding women, children, youths and people with disabilities.
The problematic nature of HIV/Aids, teen pregnancies, child and women trafficking, property rights for divorcees and widows, as well as the multiple needs of the disabled and the aged are aspects that have not even been touched upon which ought to occasion many intense and long debates in order to address said complex social, economic and community aspects so that, as already mentioned, policy and legislation must be in place in order to implement programmes and projects at a national level as well as to support provincial and local government tiers. It is therefore a hopeful sign for me to see that this forms part of the mandate of the new Ministry.
Time and again the importance of the family as the basis for a healthy society is emphasised. The youth are the future of our nation and the way in which the disabled and other vulnerable persons are treated embodies the character of a nation. Despite this, domestic violence, rape, murder, crime, drug abuse, gang violence, teen pregnancies and you name it constitute the news that reaches the front pages of our newspapers on a daily basis.
The provincial government of the Western Cape therefore earnestly appeals to the Ministry of Women, Children and People with Disabilities to worth towards research into the real causes of the violence within the South African society and, in conjunction with nongovernmental organisations, to implement programmes and projects on national, provincial and local government levels.
In our country, which is marked by various milestones, the biggest of which is the milestone of equality and freedom for all as enshrined in the Constitution of South Africa, it is, however, alarming to see that we are making rapid progress on the road to total freedom and equality, but that, in spite of this, we are a sick nation. We are emotionally and spiritually sick, which is reflected in the amount of violence against women and children at all levels. It is a great pity to me, despite the fact that I understand the notion of "placing in the mainstream" and that each department itself will have to deal with these aspects, that such a small budget is allocated to such an important department. We would like to see some change regarding that in the additional estimates.
It would be very sad if the trend were to continue that a lot of talking, drafting of legislation and creation of frameworks and structures to address these aspects takes place, as with Social Development, but that when it comes to putting your money where your mouth is, the budgets of these very Ministries are cut. The complaints remain the same and the problems are growing, so the Western Cape government will be watching this department's progress with great interest in order to see whether the current government will stop talking and start doing. The creation of a Ministry is a wonderful initiative, but unfortunately it does not solve the problems. The problems cannot be addressed without an adequate budget.
Chairperson, another aspect to which you have also referred is women and children's health. One of the most alarming facts to have come to light and which has been published by the Human Sciences Research Council, the HSRC, under the heading "The Health of Women and Children" is that despite the fact that 90% of babies in South Africa are born in hospitals, the death rate is still increasing. In other words, 7% of children in South Africa do not reach the age of five years. What is the solution, or should we rather be asking what this can be attributed to?
It can only be attributed to the fact that we do not have health care of a high standard in our hospitals. We want to appeal to this Ministry also to look at the health of women and children in the wider sense and to strive towards health care of a better standard in hospitals, especially in the rural districts.
The provincial government of the Western Cape would like to see that the budget of the Department of Women, Children and People with Disabilities is not only spent on the creation of a framework within which programmes and projects can be implemented, but that actual, practical programmes and projects are implemented at grass-roots level which will create the opportunities for the said marginalised groups and will also give these people the opportunity to be able to really develop within their communities and become empowered to exercise personal choices regarding their own lifestyle, their own careers and their own future.
Lastly, I would like to make an appeal that empowerment be embodied by way of extending human rights, but in the form of fostering responsibility. South Africa is a country which is charactised by equality and freedom, which is why I just want to ask for the creation of responsibility by way of, for instance, a manifesto for responsibility. Thank you and all the best with your big undertaking. [Applause.] [Time expired.]]
Ms U KEERATH (KwaZulu-Natal): Madam Chair, hon Minister, members of the Council, women have made remarkable gains in education, health and the recognition of human rights but, despite this progress, much more needs to be done. Deep poverty among women remains all too prevalent. Two thirds of women's total time spent in developing industrial countries is unpaid, and among 1,3 billion illiterate adults, two thirds are women.
Discriminatory laws governing marriage, matrimonial property, land, inheritance, divorce and family persist. Violence against women at home, in the workplace, and on the street continues unabated.
These challenges persist not only at home but also in other areas, such as women's health care, especially reproductive health where women are more likely to be infected with HIV and affected by Aids than men. Also, women are unable to access antenatal facilities. Many hospitals in KwaZulu-Natal still exhibit high rates of infant mortality. Many women cannot access the equality courts and maintenance courts. Despite the constitutional guarantees of freedom, liberty and access, most women have not been able to translate these rights into tangible gains for themselves.
The very low budget allocated to this Ministry is a cause for major concern, and I think many of the previous speakers have alluded to this. It is mind-boggling to understand how this Ministry, a brand-new Ministry, will fulfil all of its functions with a limited budget.
It is imperative that gender has to be taken into account when financing all decisions. Just in this morning's Business Day, research shows that sub- Saharan women spend 40 billion hours per year collecting water. This is equivalent to France's entire labour force. The report also says that women are more vulnerable to climate change, because they are more likely to be poor and more likely to be vulnerable to water-borne diseases, so we need to know that gender is being taken into account whenever we talk about decisions.
As we review our track record and achievements towards gender equality, we need to be fully aware and informed of new challenges. The current level of transformation must be heightened, and the Minister spoke about 73 companies listed on the JSE which did not have a single woman on the board of directors.
Whilst women constitute 52% of the overall population, they only make up 45% of South Africa's working population. We must not tolerate superficial changes, and we cannot pay lip service to this. We must ensure that equity targets are being met.
To address the flagrant abuse of women's human rights, persistent gender discrimination and the potential of millions of girls and women to contribute to development, whether economic, social or political, requires collective action and this, in turn, also requires collective resources. We know about the elimination of all forms of discrimination which, I think, is a vision and mission of this department, but this can only be translated into real gains if the budget is gender-friendly.
These programmes must not be seen as programmes but must be seen as investments in the lives of women and children. It is about developing the productive capacities of the vulnerable. Yet, more remains to be done to integrate gender equality dimensions into our normative policy and operational work, to ensure that the twin goals of economic growth and expansion of human capabilities are attained. Here again, gender and developmental opportunities must go hand in hand. I am afraid that time is also racing with me!
Another area that I am deeply concerned about is human trafficking, and even as we begin to count down the days to the 2010 Fifa Soccer World Cup, this problem remains a real one. There is also drug trafficking, forced prostitution and pornography, and the Minister referred to that.
We are also concerned about the escalating cases of abuse at schools, because most of these girls - females - have a double burden when they are either disabled or oppressed because of their gender.
Also, Madam Minister, you spoke about access and transportation of people to the stadiums, and this also has to be addressed. We cannot exclude the disabled; we cannot have them maimed; we cannot have them marginalised. Whilst we know that this is a brand-new department, one would expect more resources to match the programmes.
Madam Chair, we are extremely concerned about the financial and human resources. Gender needs must not be pushed to the periphery. Gender needs must be in the nucleus. They cannot be pushed to the periphery. Sorry, my time has almost expired. We must ensure that this will change in the future, and adjustments must be made to ensure a gender-sensitive budget. KwaZulu-Natal supports the budget. I thank you. [Applause.]
Hon Chairperson, hon Minister, and hon members, for 14 years women, children and people with disabilities have not been asking for policy formulation from the government. They have been clamouring for action and service delivery. Even today, this is what they are still asking for.
Minister, unfortunately government is becoming much too big and much too expensive. As with Greece and Portugal, our country too may very soon be in a predicament. We are exhausting state revenue at a very rapid rate on government itself. This leaves little for ordinary people to benefit from government programmes.
This department, for example, is consuming nearly R100 million of taxpayers' money. How much of this will directly benefit people on the ground? At the same time, the fastest growing item on the budget line is the cost of servicing government debt. To put this in perspective, multiply the budget of this department by 728 and that is the amount of money government has to allocate, this year, to service its debts. Tax money is not going into socioeconomic programmes and as the economic squeeze tightens, government will offer ordinary people less and less. The promise of a better life for all rings very hollow today.
We in Cope want to see gender equality being achieved but we believe that this Ministry is being set up to fail. When it fails because of all the circumstances that surround it, it will be said that a woman failed the women of this country. It was wrong to make women's affairs a woman's responsibility. To have absolved men just like that was equally wrong. What has happened to all the women activists of our country that they allow such an ill-conceived deployment to occur?
In addition, this department is also responsible for ensuring the attainment of children's rights and responsibilities. To begin with, over 1,5 million children of South Africa are orphans. The number of child- headed households is staggering. All of these problems concerning children are of a great magnitude. They are very, very serious problems. How will the government advance the rights of these 1,5 million orphans? How will it help to resolve the problem of child-headed households?
On the question of people with disabilities, it is noble of the government to ask for all issues concerning people with disabilities to be mainstreamed. Last year, Deputy President Motlanthe promised that people with disabilities would be beneficiaries and equal partners in all governmental programmes to halve unemployment and poverty. When will this be fulfilled?
This year's theme concerning persons with disabilities is "Making Millennium Development Goals inclusive". This is to be achieved through the empowerment of people with disabilities and their communities. We would like to see programmes being implemented countrywide. We want to see government action; and not government in distraction.
Chair, we in Cope are very uneasy. This Ministry has an enormous responsibility. If the Minister proves me wrong and succeeds with all her strategic objectives to the satisfaction of all the people, I will be only too happy to eat humble pie. If, on the other hand, what we believe is going to happen does happen, then money, opportunity and trust will be permanently lost.
Minister, we beg you to prove us wrong. We beg you to succeed. We urge you to make this Ministry relevant and save it from the irrelevancy into which it was moulded. I thank you. [Applause.]
Ms L L ZWANE (KwaZulu-Natal): Chairperson, Minister Mama Mayende-Sibiya, and hon members KwaZulu-Natal is one of the provinces that was very excited about the introduction of the Ministry of Women, Children and People with Disabilities. We felt that it was time the voice of women was heard and a platform created to address their needs and aspirations. We can never thank the President of our country enough for the introduction of this Ministry.
There is a lot of work to be done by this Ministry, as the Minister said in her speech that it is going to monitor other government departments to ensure that gender is mainstreamed and that children's rights as well as the rights of people with disabilities are taken care of. But, as the KwaZulu-Natal province, we still want to say that a very small budget has been allocated to execute this monitoring.
Minister, we would have expected more to be given to your Ministry since it concerns women. We know that there is a lot of work to be done with regard to addressing women's issues that have bugged our society for centuries. We have a lot of work to do with regard to training women to understand the pieces of legislation that affect them because, in most cases, they are exploited or abused simply because they don't understand how to use the legislation that is there for them. That is an area this Ministry needs to focus on.
In many cases, children are abused simply because they've not been given training to understand the legislation provided for them to assist them to stand up for their rights. But then that protection also goes with training to understand their responsibilities as young people.
Your task is going to be a bit complicated and difficult because we understand that there are no MECs at the level of provinces that are dedicated to these programmes which fall within the offices of the premiers and as such we are going to demand a lot from this Ministry. We want to see the Minister trotting around the provinces engaging, addressing, and discussing issues with women. This is going to take a lot of her time and it needs to be budgeted for. This Ministry is as important as any other department. As women, we need to support it in every way we can to encourage the Minister to do her duties and those of the Ministry properly.
Regarding the issue of people with disabilities, Minister, in KwaZulu-Natal we have ensured that the 2% allocated to employ people with disabilities is implemented by the departments. But there is a need to monitor whether these things do happen in an effective way or are implemented in full. Broadly speaking, as KwaZulu-Natal we look forward to your guidance, support, strengthened communication and visibility so that at the end of the day we don't cast aspersions on the Ministry. We look forward to supporting you and ensuring that your programmes are well received by the different provinces.
In conclusion, as other speakers have said earlier, I want to say that we are aggrieved that we have been allocated so little but I want to assure you that the province of KwaZulu-Natal, or rather, the mighty province of KwaZulu-Natal, supports this budget. Thank you. [Applause.]
Madam Chairperson, hon Minister and departmental officials ...
... ke t?haba go bu?elet?a t?eo maloko ao a bolet?ego pele ga ka a ?et?ego a di bolet?e. Re tla be re binabina felo go tee, gomme ga re nyake go binabina felo go tee. Fela ke nyaka go thekga dinthla t?e pedi t?e tharo t?e e lego gore maloko ao a tlilego pele ga ka a ?et?e a di bolet?e.
Ke ema le ntlha ya gore kgoro ye e abet?we ditekanyet?o t?e nnyane le ntlha ya gore kgoro ye e sa le ye mpsha gomme e swana le ngwana yo a abulago. Fela ka morago ga nako ye e rileng, e tla kgona go ema ka maoto gomme ya tatai?a ya kgona go ya pele. Ga e gona kgoro ye e ka rego e sa le ye mpsha ra be re ?et?e re e ?upa ka menwana. Re tlile mo ra bolela gomme ra dumela gore kgoro ye ke e mpsha, fela re ?et?e re thomile go e ?upa ka menwana. Ga re a swanela gore re e ?upe ka menwana. Ge re e ?upa ka menwana re swanet?e gore re tsebe gore ye meraro ye e ?upile rena go swana le nna gona bjale ge ke eme mo gomme ke ?upa ka monwana.
Re le komiti re ile ra kopana le kgoro ye gomme ra t?welet?a go ipelaet?a ga rena ka taba ya dipeelet?o. Re ile ra tsinkela lenaneotshepedi?o leo le thadilwego la kgoro. Re humane gore ke lenaneo leo le nago le maikemi?et?o a go dira gore kgoro e hlongwe pele ka botlalo ka gore ge e ka se hlongwe ka botlalo, e ka se ?ome. Re a tseba gore ge e ?et?e e hlomilwe ka botlalo, e tla ?oma. Le bjale, re na le lehut?o la go feta legonono gore kgoro ye e tlo ?oma. Ga se ya re ge Mopresidente a hloma kgoro ye a e hloma a se na maikemi?et?o a gore e tlo dira eng.
Re a tseba gore go na le batho ba gaborena bao ba sa itekanelago le bana. Re na le dipholisi t?eo re di hlamilego re le ba ANC gore di kaonafat?e maphelo a batho ba. Re a tseba gore basadi ba swanet?e go matlafat?wa, e bile re ?et?e re batamet?e goba re le go yona 50/50 ya go laet?a gore basadi ba matlafadit?we. Ga ke tsebe gore batho bao ba sa dut?ego ba bolela gore basadi ba matlafat?we ba bolela ka eng ka gore ke pholisi ya rena yeo e rego re matlafat?e basadi, ebile re ba matlafadit?e.
Ke nyaka go boela polelong ye nngwe yeo e bolet?wego ke mohl Worth. Ke kwele ge mohl Worth a efa polelo ya go laet?a gore ga a tsebe tshepedi?o ya mmu?o le ya Kabinete. O bolet?e ka Mokgatlo wa Boset?haba wa Tlhabollo ya Baswa wo o welago ka fase ga Mopresidente. Fela yena o nyaka gore Tona ya Lafapha la Basadi, Bana le Batho bao ba sa Itekanelago a ikarabele tabeng ye. Tona a ka se ke a ikarabela tabeng ye ka gore e ka gare ga ofisi ya Mopresidente. Mohl Worth o be a swanet?e go ?i?inya gore dikgokagano ka gare ga lefapha le la gona bjale le le mpsha di sepet?we gabotse gore di tle di kgone go hola batho ba gaborena. Bjale, ga re nyake gore ka lebaka la ge a nyaka go fihlelela morero wa dipolotiki, a bolele dilo t?e di sa swanelago go lebana le lefapha le it?ego gomme a di lebant?he le lefapha le le sa lebanago le t?ona. Re kgopela gore a boele a yo bala, a lebelele gore na mo?omo wa mmu?o le Kabinete o sepela bjang.
Re le ba ANC, ka fase ga komiti ye e lebanego le kgoro ye, re re kgoro ye re tla e thekga. Tona o tla humana thekgo ya rena ye e tsenelet?ego kgorong ye, e se go thekgo ye e aroganego. Re tlo dira gore Lefapha la t?a Dit?helete, e lego Boswaramatlotlo bja Set?haba, le kgone go fa kgoro dit?helete t?eo di swanet?ego ge go tlo lebedi?i?wa t?a dit?helete gape ngwageng wo. Se ke go dira gore kgoro ye e fiwe t?helete gomme e kgone go dira mo?omo wa yona wo o e lebanego.
Re re bjalo re le ba ANC. Re thekga ditekanyet?o t?a lefapha gore lefapha le t?wele pele le ?ome. Ke a leboga. [Legoswi.] (Translation of Sepedi paragraphs follow.)
[... let me not reiterate what other members have already mentioned. If we do that there will be no progress on this matter and this is not what is desired. However, I would like to mention two or three things in support of what has already been said prior to my speech.
I support the fact that this department has been allocated an insufficient budget for the reason that it is at its tender stage like a crawling baby. After some time it will be mature enough to operate on its own. We cannot point fingers at this new department for a lack of service delivery. Some time ago we unpacked issues around this department and concluded that it is still developing, but to my surprise we lay blame on it. We are not supposed to do that. If we do that, we will in turn be laying blame on ourselves since the other three fingers are pointing at us as we are pointing one at the department.
As a committee, we had consultations with this department and raised issues of concern about investments. We looked at matters closely at the department's strategic planning workshop. We found that the plan has well- defined objectives for efficiency and development. We know that once it is fully established, it will make it. As of now, we still have confidence that this department will succeed. The President did not just establish this department in vain; he had a mission.
We know that there are fellow citizens who are disabled. As the ANC, we do have well-established policies for the betterment of their lives. We know that women are to be empowered and we are almost at the half-way mark in terms of their empowerment. I don't know why people keep on raising the issue of women empowerment while we actually know that they are empowered, for our policy states clearly that women are to be empowered.
Let me refer to what the hon Worth highlighted. In his address, I could pick a few hints to suggest that the hon Worth confuses the government system and that of the Cabinet. He made mention of the National Youth Development Agency as if it was under the Presidency. But he wanted the Minister of Women, Children and People with Disabilities to respond on this matter. The Minister cannot respond on this matter for it is in the office of the President. Hon Worth was supposed to suggest that communication in this new department be well administered for the benefit of our people. We would prefer him not to raise matters which do not concern this department for political correctness; he should rather be advised to direct questions to the relevant department. We ask him to go back and look carefully at how government works, especially the Cabinet.
As the ANC, under the portfolio committee of this department, we will support it. We will support the Minister to the fullest. We will ensure that the Department of Finance, which is the National Treasury, allocates enough money for the second budget allocation this year. This is to make it possible for it to function properly. As the ANC, we support the budget allocation of the department and we say let the beat go on. Thank you. [Applause.]]
The MINISTER OF WOMEN, CHILDREN AND PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES: Deputy Chairperson, I was hoping to borrow from my concluding 15 minutes.
One area that I have to emphasise is our international role. We collaborate with a number of international and continental bodies and instruments that the country is signatory to. In this regard, we are required to report periodically on the progress made at the national level in the implementation of these instruments.
We are going to ensure that all reports to these international and regional bodies are consulted on and finalised in time for submission. Furthermore, we are undertaking to address the backlog in reporting and will ensure that all outstanding reports are submitted during this financial year.
We participated in the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women which reviewed 15 years of the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and its Platform for Action in New York in March this year. During Women's Month in August this year we will hold a national conference to discuss the outcome of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Woman, UNCSW, and develop a programme of action towards Beijing +20. This conference should also discuss the measures we need to take to ensure that we observe this decade, 2010 to 2020, as the decade of African woman, as declared by the African Union. Hon Keerath, the issue of unpaid work done by many women of Africa should be part of this discussion.
We will work towards the ratification of the Southern African Development Community, SADC, Protocol on Gender and Development and ensure the domestication of this protocol into the revised policy.
As I go through the responses, I wish to thank the hon members for the robust debate that we have engaged with this morning. I wish to say that we take note of all the inputs of the hon members.
Regarding the debate on programmes and projects of the department, I appreciate the support expressed by members for the collective goal of an inclusive and caring society.
Member Worth, on the challenges facing the CGE, I must emphasise that we are engaging with the CGE on measures to resolve its challenges. I also want to reassure this House that we will follow through on the recommendations of Scopa. The country cannot afford to lose an institution like the CGE. All of us, the department and Parliament, need to work together to make it work.
With regard to the limited resources given to the department, I welcome the input made by the hon members and I would like to reiterate what I said earlier in my speech. The amount allocated to the department and agreed to by Cabinet, is limited compared to the magnitude of the task at hand. However, we will use this amount to ensure that we do the work before us and ensure that the policy of our government to mainstream the programmes throughout the government system is implemented.
We will certainly play our oversight role to ensure that the whole of government has programmes and funding that benefit women, children and people with disabilities.
Mhlonishwa weqembu leNkatha, sibonga kakhulu ngamazwi asigqugquzelayo. Sasebenzisana kahle kakhulu noMntwana kaPhindangene kanye noNkosikazi Zanele Magwaza-Msibi ekugqugquzeleni usuku lwamakhosikazi eVryheid ngonyaka odlule. Sifisa ukuthi sibambisane ikakhulukazi ekuthuthukiseni abantu bakithi emakhaya. (Translation of isiZulu paragraph follows.)
[Hon member of the IFP, thank you very much for the words of encouragement. We worked very well with Inkosi Mangosuthu Buthelezi and Mrs Zanele Magwaza- Msibi in promoting Women's Day in Vryheid last year. We wish to work together especially in the development of our people in the rural areas.]
I have noted the concerns raised by the Western Cape. Through you, Deputy Chairperson, I would like to say to hon Labuschagne and hon Feldman that they must be assured that we shall walk the talk. We shall deliver on our mandate to increase developmental opportunities for women, children and people with disabilities. We will all work together.
I would like to thank all those, as I said earlier, who have supported us with this challenging task of setting up the new Ministry and department over the past year. The Presidency, in particular, has played a central role in assisting us and providing administrative and other forms of support to ensure that we establish this institution. We appreciate that very much.
I also wish to thank my organisation, the ANC, for its vision and the continued support and understanding with regard to the challenges faced by the people of South Africa. I also wish to thank other parties who have given support in different ways and indicated the willingness to work with us to ensure that the challenges of our people are addressed.
I also want to thank my colleagues in Cabinet, the chairperson and members of the Select Committee on Women, Children and People with Disabilities. Thank you very much to all of you.
My appreciation goes to the many women's organisations, children's rights groups and organisations representing persons with disabilities who have engaged with us to ensure that we create an entity that can respond to the expectations of our sectors.
In conclusion, I need to say that the best measure of our performance will be the extent to which we make a difference in the lives of our people, especially women, children and persons with disabilities. I can say with certainty that with such strong support from the select committee, we are going to make a major difference in this term of office.
We will be in the streets and we hope to see members supporting the programmes that we are going to implement over a period of time, starting with the launch of, for instance, the week of the rights of the child. We are also going to hit the ground running with the 2010 Fifa World Cup programme and other such programmes.
We will lean on the support of the members of this House as we seek, even with limited funds, to make a difference in the lives of our people in the country, especially, those who are represented by this Ministry.
Let us work together towards a common vision of a nonsexist and nonracial South Africa that does not discriminate on the basis of sex, religion, etc. Let us work towards a society that is caring and inclusive, and that develops the human potential of its women, children and persons with disabilities.
Let us work towards a society where the women and young people of our country will walk the streets of South Africa without fearing any form of attack from any quarter by anybody. I say to this House, confidently, that as we move forward together, we will be able to achieve such a society in the future. Thank you.
Debate concluded.
Proceedings will be suspended for lunch and will resume at 14:00. Thank you.
Business suspended at 11:59 and resumed at 14:02.
Afternoon Sitting