Hon Deputy Minister, are you responding?
Yes.
Steps taken to prevent social grant fraud and to take corrective action where necessary 61. Mrs S P Kopane (DA) asked the Minister of Social Development:
(1) With reference to her reply to question 152 on 27 May 2011, what (a) strategy, (b) policy and (c) programmes currently exist to prevent social grant fraud from occurring in the absence of the Office of the Inspectorate for Social Assistance, which is to be established in the course of the 2013-14 financial year;
(2) which department or entity within her Ministry is currently conducting the interrogation of data on the social pension system (Socpen) to identify suspicious grants, to check and confirm the eligibility of beneficiaries and take corrective steps where cases of alleged fraud are uncovered;
(3) whether she has taken any steps to deal with the general information technology utilised by her department in light of the report by the Auditor-General for the year ending 31 March 2010, which stated that the social pension system was not designed to maintain the integrity of the information system and security of data; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details? NO1770E
Lungu elihloniphekile, Nk S P Kopane ... [hon member Mrs S P Kopane ... the South African Social Security Agency, Sassa, developed and is implementing the integrity model as a strategy to detect and prevent fraud in the grants administration system. The strategy focuses on compliance, enforcement, confirmation of eligibility to document review and the life verification of social grant beneficiaries for existence. The model further requires Sassa to link fraudulent beneficiaries to the staff members who captured and approved these grants on the system. The integrity policy was developed and is being consulted with organised labour. The policy will allow Sassa to conduct a lifestyle audit on officials suspected to be living beyond their means. Furthermore, the policy will enable Sassa to take corrective action in cases of omission or commission caused deliberately or through negligence.
Sassa is also implementing an ethics programme, which primarily focuses on ethics audits. The audits include reconciliation between financial disclosure, remuneration for work and declaration of gifts. These will assist Sassa in determining conflicts of interest relating to its staff members, which could undermine its integrity.
The compliance and fraud management function within Sassa is responsible for fraud detection, investigation of fraudulent grants, in co-operation with law enforcement agencies, and verification of grants for validity and existence of beneficiaries. Sassa is gradually increasing its capacity to effectively reform the above-mentioned functions. In addition, Sassa has also enhanced its fraud prevention measures through the implementation of Industrial Control Technology, ICT, controls to manage access to its systems.
With regard to the second question, the Compliance and Fraud Management Department is responsible for data interrogation to detect fraudulent grants. Sassa is implementing the benefits verification process to verify the validity of grants, eligibility of beneficiaries and physical verification of the existence of beneficiaries. The identified cases are subsequently terminated from the system and referred to law enforcement agencies for criminal investigation, prosecution and the recovery of fraudulently paid grants.
With regard to the third question, the answer is yes. The following steps have been taken to ensure that the social pension system, Socpen, and data integrity are maintained. Access to the system is controlled by the resource access control facility, which ensures that only registered users have access to the system and data under controlled circumstances. Two user- account management policies have been approved and implemented and a system model manages and controls access to the application. A batch interface with the population register of the Department of Home Affairs is run before the grant payments are extracted to prevent illegal beneficiaries. Strict monitoring of access to the Socpen system after business hours and over weekends is performed. Exception reports on anomalies on the Socpen system are produced for investigation. Lastly, the batch interface with the government payroll system has been implemented to ensure that government officials do not benefit from social assistance.
Furthermore, Sassa will be implementing a biometric identification project during the 2011-12 financial year to further improve Socpen system information access and control. Thank you.
Speaker, I thank the hon Deputy Minister. Everything she said was good, but in terms of implementation, we know these things are not helping us. Tens of millions of rands have been lost through fraud and corruption by Sassa.
Hon Deputy Minister, would you agree that if the inspectorate was established in accordance with the law, that is the Social Assistance Act of 2004, fraud, corruption, service mismanagement and criminal activity within the agency could have been avoided? If the answer is yes, why was the inspectorate never established as a priority? If no, what other mechanisms are in place besides the ones you have already mentioned here? I ask this because we know they are in place, but Sassa's officials have no capacity. Thank you.
Speaker, Lungu elihloniphekile ... Hon member ... we believe that the establishment of the Corporate Compliance and Integrity Unit, on the one hand, will enhance compliance with policies and processes and prevent the processing of falsified grants, thus eliminating the possibility of fraudulent beneficiaries from entering the system. On the other hand, we welcome and believe that under the new CEO, Virginia Petersen, there will be a culture of honesty and integrity within Sassa. We believe things will change. Thank you.
Speaker, I am the Botha on your right. Firstly, with regard to the implementation of the integrity model, I want to ask how many social grants were verified through the life verification process that the Deputy Minister mentioned earlier? Secondly, how many of the verified grants were found to be fraudulent? Thirdly, how did these fraudulent grants find their way into the grant system? Lastly, how is Sassa going to deal with this challenge?
Speaker, it is a very difficult question, but I will try to answer it. I think a total number of 132 603 social grants had been verified through the Life Verification Process as at the end of March 2011. A total of 7 133 were found to be fraudulent and cancelled. Some members of the public obtained false birth certificates and utilised them to apply for fraudulent grants to Sassa.
Sassa is working with the Department of Home Affairs and law enforcement agencies to identify and cancel all false identity documents and ensure that perpetrators are brought to book. Sassa is also busy linking these fraudulent grants to the officials who captured them on the Socpen system and will be taking corrective action against the implicated officials. If necessary, people will be arrested. Thank you. [Applause.]
Speaker and hon Deputy Minister, are the majority of these strategies to prevent social grant fraud computer-based? If so, how is the Minister addressing the challenge of sufficient technically skilled people to manage and maintain the necessary technology to implement the programmes? What is the department doing generally to ensure the necessary technical skills to implement anti-fraud measures? Do the anti-fraud measures adequately cover fraud within Sassa, commercial banks and the public, and what are the details?
Speaker, Ilunga elihloniphekile uDudley... Hon member Dudley... firstly, the purpose of the Corporate Compliance and Integrity Unit will be to enforce compliance with legislation, regulations and policy, as well as validated benefits, with a view to enhancing transparency and accountability and accelerating service delivery. Secondly, we subscribe to the fundamental concept that fraud prevention is the most effective and efficient means to minimise fraud and abuse, and to foster a culture of doing the right thing.
Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order: I don't mean to put the Deputy Minister in a difficult situation, but I don't quite understand how the Deputy Minister has been able to respond to the question by reading from the text, while that question was raised from the floor right now? In other words, what I am saying to you is: I don't believe for a minute that the Deputy Minister is actually answering the question that was put to her. It is right off the subject.
Please take your seat. Continue, Deputy Minister.
Speaker, I am not reading from a text. This is my own handwriting.
Hon members, please reduce your volume or, preferably, speak with no voice, so that we can hear the speaker. [Laughter.]
We are going to foster a culture of doing the right thing. We are also going to recruit members from outside, especially when it comes to capacity. A value set will provide direction to employees of Sassa with regard to expected ethical behaviour. A number of policies and guidelines also exist to guide employees further on what is acceptable or unacceptable in a work environment. Thank you. [Applause.]
Thank you, hon Deputy Minister. There are no further requests for supplementary questions on my screen. We will therefore move on to Question 67. [Interjections.] Where is the supplementary question? There is one last supplementary question.
Speaker, hon Deputy Minister, my question was not answered. My question is: Why was the inspectorate never established in accordance with the law?
Speaker, I think the hon member should indicate the law she is referring to, because according to my knowledge it was established according to the law.
Steps taken to ensure curriculum parity in special schools and to provide training to deal with visually impaired and hearing-impaired learners
67. Ms N Gina (ANC) asked the Minister of Basic Education:
(1) What steps has she taken to ensure that the curriculum and learner support material of special schools are in line with the curriculum and assessment policy statement for learners in the mainstream;
(2) whether any steps have been taken to provide training to managers and educators at all schools to deal with visually impaired and hearing-impaired learners; if not, why not; if so, what steps? NO1776E
Speaker ... [Interjections.]
Hon Blade, the hon member Trollip wants to listen to the response and you are really interrupting. Please, give the hon member a chance to listen. [Laughter.] Take your seat, hon member.
Mr Speaker, Mr Speaker ... [Laughter.]
The question relates to the curriculum for learners with special needs. The answer is that an inclusive education reference group was indeed established in 2010 to develop an Inclusive Education Policy Statement on the curriculum and assessment for incorporation into the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statements. A task team was also established for the adaptation of workbooks for Grades 1 to 6 into Braille and SA Sign Language, as well as for the alternative and augmentative communication. All workbooks for the numeracy and literacy grades have been adapted for Braille.
The second question relates to training for managers and educators. The reply is that 200 provincial, district and school management teams and officials from 66 schools for visual and hearing impairment were trained in March 2011 in specialised skills in these areas, including how to manage the curriculum. The training programme is being adapted to ensure that there is training of 700 more teachers for the visually impaired and 1 000 teachers for the deaf, which starts in 2011 on a progressive basis.
Speaker, ngibonge kakhulu Ngqongqoshe ngempendulo yakho ... [Thank you very much for your response, Minister.] ... but, hon Minister, when we talk of inclusive education we cater for all those who have disabilities of whatever sort. Does the department have any infrastructure arrangements or plans to cater for other physically disabled children who are expected to go to school? We find so many children who cannot even access education because they are in wheelchairs and cannot even get to a classroom. What is the department planning in that regard?
In 2010 we had to ask the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, CSIR, to help us develop norms and standards for accessibility into schools. So we have a framework on norms and standards. We have converted a number of schools to make them more accessible for children with physical disabilities, but up to now we have not rolled it out to all the schools. I can supply you with the number of schools that have been made "full" schools. We have a framework in which all new schools must comply with the norms and standards. This includes physical accessibility, but we have not been able to convert all schools into fully functional schools. There is work under way to make sure that we can improve access.
Hon Minister, Pioneer Printers in Worcester is a national asset. It is the only national facility in the country that provides for Braille, audio and giant-letters material in technical subjects such as mathematics, science, music and computer language. The annual budget of this national asset is R7,3 million, of which the Western Cape education department funds R2,5 million. They raise the balance of those funds and that places Pioneer in a precarious situation, year in and year out. Are you willing, Minister, to consider granting Pioneer Printers, since it is a national facility and the only one in this area, the full, sustainable sum of R7,3 million per annum by way of a ring-fenced special grant to the Western Cape education department to ensure that the nation's blind are educationally empowered?
Indeed, the MEC for Education in the Western Cape has spoken to me about this facility of which I was not aware. I fully appreciate its importance and have communicated with the department to see how we can assist it to make sure that we can protect and sustain it as the only facility of its kind in the county. What I need to do is to check what progress they have made in their engagements with the facility.
What I also did request, as they are the only facility, is that as government we must make sure that we give them business and that there is no delay in paying them, as that affects their cash flow. That was another difficulty - government was delaying payment to them. So we had to unblock that and make sure that the facility is indeed protected and - as you correctly say - seen as valuable. What I can do is follow up and check how the discussions with that facility are standing, but I have taken up the matter of engaging with that facility with the department. [Applause.]
I think the Minister's response focused on the second part of this question at the expense of the first part, which talks about the alignment of the assessment policy for special schools with the assessment policy of mainstream schools. My question is: What aspects of this assessment policy do you think have to be aligned?
I think there might be some communication breakdown between what I am reading and what member Mpontshane is reading. The first question is asking me about materials for children with learning disabilities and the second one about training. That is what I have responded to and that is what is contained in my question. I am not sure which question the member is referring to.
Hon member, do you want to clarify what question you are referring to, or which statement are you referring to?
Speaker, I hope I am reading the same question as the Minister. The last part says: "What steps has the Minister taken to ensure that the curriculum and learner support material of special schools are in line with the curriculum and assessment policy statement for learners in the mainstream?" That is the question. My question was: What aspects of this assessment policy does the Minister think have to be aligned?
The answer is "fully aligned". Everything we have done for mainstream learners has also been done for learners with special needs. So, where we have to convert into Braille, the curriculum and assessments have been fully Brailled. Where we have to have materials for children with hearing impairments, the curriculum is fully aligned to make sure that indeed there is duplication. Nothing that was done for mainstream learners was not done for children with special needs. What I was responding to related to how many people we have trained in the different areas, but we must be fully aligned.
The last question to hon Minister Motshekga will be asked by the hon Dr Motshekga. I have you on my list. Do you want to withdraw? Do you prefer to raise it at home? [Laughter.]
Hon Speaker ...
It's okay. You can ask it anyway.
Speaker, hon Minister, what has the department done to seek and encourage the involvement of parents and the community in decisions taken to include special school learners in mainstream schools?
Again, in terms of the process that we followed when we were doing the curriculum and assessment policy process, we followed the necessary steps in terms of public participation and engaging with the public - just the legal part thereof. I received, for instance, the last report from the curriculum statement in June and, before we even gazette it, I have a series of appointments with different key stakeholders to make sure that we take them through the documents.
What we have done was really a technical exercise in terms of what the law prescribes to us and in terms of public comment and consultation with key stakeholders. I would not have had the specific task to focus on either this kind of parent or that kind of learner. We are continuing to talk to different groups of people who have an interest in making sure that we are indeed on par and that we have a common understanding. If there are problems that are brought forward to us, we are able to address them.
Progress made in implementing sport in schools for the enrichment of school programmes
68. Ms N Gina (ANC) asked the Minister of Basic Education:
What progress has been made with regard to the implementation of sport in schools as part of a collaborative programme with other organisations, including the Department of Sport and Recreation, for the enrichment of school programmes? NO1777E
Speaker, a draft integrated sports plan has been developed collaboratively with Sports and Recreation South Africa, clarifying the roles and functions of each department. We even held a final meeting this morning which also spelled out the process that both departments are going to follow.
Within the Department of Basic Education, the draft has been approved by the Council on Education in Management, CEM. It is due to be finalised by agreement between the two of us. As I have said, this morning we had a meeting with the Minister and we have agreed on the way forward. Currently, school sports leagues have commenced at district level with four identified priority sporting codes, namely, football, rugby, netball and cricket. Schools are participating in leagues, based on a guideline document that was developed and distributed to all provinces.
In addition, the training of educators as part of the Curriculum Assessment and Policy Statement, Caps, is planned. Currently, subject advisors have also been trained on Caps, which will include training around sports- related matters. According to Caps, two hours per week in the school timetable have been allocated to physical education.
Hon Minister, thank you for the good initiatives that you have taken with regard to school sport, together with the Department of Sport and Recreation. However, looking at the codes, even the ones you have just mentioned now, such as rugby and cricket, which have started in some of the districts, when you look at the disadvantaged learners from the deep rural areas you will find that we do not have those sporting facilities. What is the department doing to ensure that even learners from the deep rural areas are exposed to such codes? What is the department doing with regard to facilities to ensure that they are exposed to such codes?
Looking at Caps and the two hours allocated to physical education, and knowing the history of educators who do not use these two hours solely for that purpose, what measures does the department have in place to ensure that those hours are being used effectively for school sport?
Speaker, I have to say that the Department of Sport and Recreation has played a greatly beneficial role in the process of making sure that we reawaken school sport. It's been very constructive. The Minister of Sport and Recreation had said to his people that sport is full-time, so they have really been dedicating their attention to sport. For us, as the Department of Education, sport is part-time. Sometimes we will not have the time and the ability to run with school sport. They have added impetus to the process. I can assure you that, with their collaboration, we should see good things in the future.
With regard to infrastructure, our new norms and standards for school infrastructure incorporate sport facilities as an essential part of infrastructure. We are talking with the Minister and also with local government. Again, the Department of Sport and Recreation is leading that process because they are on it full-time. They are working with local government to see how we can collaborate as the three spheres of government to roll out sport infrastructure in areas where it is absent. Part of the plan is a roll-out in July and it will include all matters relating to infrastructure, training and leagues. So, the matter the hon member has raised is part of the plan that we are working on with the Minister of Sport and Recreation. The razzmatazz will get into the schools.
Speaker, Minister, education is by nature a labour- intensive enterprise. As far as development of rural schools is concerned, we know that this country has a history of MIG funds not being fully utilised. MIG funds can be the solution to the problem that we have at hand. Does the Minister have any plans to ensure that MIG funds will be used to assist poor schools? Of all the MIG funds that have been sent back, it was actually the poor schools that suffered the most when it comes to school sport.
Part of the answer given to the hon Gina covers exactly that. The Minister of Sport and Recreation is the one who is leading the engagement with local authorities on the use of MIG funds for infrastructure. So, we agree with you that it could be one of the sources of funding for sport, not only for schools but for sport in communities. The Minister of Sport and Recreation is leading that process and has already engaged with the different local authorities to ensure access to those funds.
Speaker, hon Minister, in 2005 a collaboration framework was signed between the Department of Education and the Department of Sport and Recreation. Six years later, sporting facilities in our schools, especially in rural and township schools, are still at zero level. When one looks at the period since this framework was signed between the two departments, what have the impediments been? Are they financial, or what?
Linked to that Minister, we see, especially in the former model C schools, that parents are involved in the sporting activities of their children. What programmes does the department have to encourage school governing bodies to get involved in the sporting activities of their children? Thank you.
In terms of what happened to the agreement six years ago, as I said, this morning at 7 o'clock I met with the Minister of Sport and Recreation. We have reactivated the agreement and we have a clear timeframe. We are going to relaunch the process of collaboration between the two departments. That is my point: we have reactivated the process to ensure that, with the assistance of the Department of Sport and Recreation, we can indeed reawaken school sport in all our schools. We had agreed this morning that we will launch the new initiatives in July. Work is under way, training is happening and all the other related matters are being looked at to make sure that that agreement is brought back to life.
Regarding model C schools, yes, it is happening there. I had a child in Parktown Boys' High and I paid R20 000 a year. Part of that money - the bulk of it - went into sport and sporting facilities. No-fee schools are dependent on the state in order to have independent sporting activities like those of your former model C schools, because there are no resources. I think we are comparing things which are not comparable. The others are not paying, so they are dependent on the state. The others are paying and, as parents, they are running the process with the money that they are paying.
Bengithi nje angazi mhlawumbe angiwutholanga kahle umbuzo. [I was just saying that maybe I did not understand the question correctly.]
Sport is not happening in the majority of our schools. That is a known fact. Yet school sport forms an integral part of curriculum delivery in our schools. Teachers are the key to curriculum delivery. In order for the department to instil a culture of active participation in school sport by learners as well as by teachers, does the Minister plan to give incentives to teachers who deliver the sport system at schools and at any level. If so, what is the department's budget for school sport this year?
Again, we fully agree with member Smiles that sport is very important in education. We can talk about all the benefits that it brings in terms of discipline and all sorts of positive things that it brings. But in terms of incentives, we have not worked out incentives for teachers. What normally happens with teachers who also participate in sport is that their number of lessons is reduced so that they will have more hours to participate in sport. We do not give them monetary incentives. We have not worked out a framework on monetary incentives for sport teachers. In terms of the budget for school sport, it is part of the norms and standards that schools have to use some of the budget allocated to them for sport. Again, there is no special allocation outside your normal norms and standards.
Intention regarding introduction of legislation to penalise parents or guardians whose children do not attend school
51. Dr W G James (DA) asked the Minister of Basic Education:
Whether she intends introducing legislation that has a schedule of penalties for parents or guardians who do not ensure that their children attend school; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?