Hon Chairperson, the re-entry of South Africa into the international arena in 1994 brought with it new opportunities, international obligations and responsibilities on the one hand and a range of new challenges on the other hand.
The Central Drug Authority, which was approved by Cabinet in 1998, co- ordinates and streamlines the national fight against drugs on all fronts. It is a statutory body that is appointed by the Minister of Social Development in terms of the Prevention and Treatment of Drug Dependency Act, Act 20 of 1992, as amended, with the stated overarching goal of facilitating communication on various levels in the field of drug prevention.
The CDA consists of 12 nominated experts in the field of substance abuse. They are selected after interviews conducted by the parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Social Development and the Select Committee on Social Services jointly, and they are appointed by the Minister of Social Development for a five-year period. In order to achieve a well-co-ordinated approach, nominated representatives from 12 national government departments and two entities were also appointed to the CDA.
The term of office of the CDA members expired in April 2012. A request from the Minister of Social Development, hon Bathabile Dlamini, to fill 12 vacancies at the CDA was referred to both the Portfolio Committee on Social Development and the Select Committee on Social Services on 26 July 2012. The committees were tasked to shortlist, interview and submit recommendations to the Minister of Social Development for the purpose of appointing suitable candidates to serve on the CDA. The committees received 64 curricula vitae of applicants, and after a thorough scrutiny of the curricula vitae, they unanimously shortlisted 24 candidates.
The Select Committee on Social Services recommends that the House, in accordance with the Prevention and Treatment of Drug Dependency Amendment Act, Act 14 of 1999, recommends to the Minister of Social Development that the following persons serve on the Central Drug Authority Board: Mr J Kruger from the Free State; Dr R Eberlein, Mr D Bayever, Dr L R Silva, Mr C Mpyane, Mr M M Gama and Mr C P Ucko, who are all from Gauteng; Mrs C Du Toit and Ms S Ndlovu from KwaZulu-Natal; Ms A M Salter from Limpopo; Dr M Manyedi from North West and, lastly, Prof D Stein from the Western Cape.
The use of drugs and substances continues to impact negatively on the type of society we seek to build. The ANC-led government is therefore committed to putting up a fight against substance and drug abuse in our communities and it remains committed to exploring further awareness and education campaigns in relation to drug trafficking and substance abuse. [Applause.]
Debate concluded.
Question put: That the Report be adopted.
IN FAVOUR: Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Northern Cape, North West, Western Cape.
Report accordingly adopted in accordance with section 65 of the Constitution.