About

Contact

Find my representatives

Find those who have been elected to represent you in government

Find those who have been elected to represent you in government

Use my location

Find representatives

Find by name

Find by committee

Search for MPs and MPLs

Legislatures

National Parliament

National Assembly

National Council of Provinces

Provincial Legislatures

Browse by province

Eastern Cape

Free State

Gauteng

Kwazulu-Natal

Limpopo

Mpumalanga

Northern Cape

North West

Western Cape

MP Performance

Follow the activities of representatives and hold them accountable

Follow the activities of representatives and hold them accountable

Activities & Performance

Questions to ministers

pmg external link icon

Parliamentary committees

pmg external link icon

MP Corner

Transparency

Attendance of meetings

Members' interests

Code of conduct

pmg external link icon

Civic Education

Learn more about governance in South Africa and your representatives

Learn more about governance in South Africa and your representatives

From our blog

Infographics

All articles

Understanding government

Central Tenets of Government

Structure of Government

How are laws made?

State Institutions Supporting Democracy

Take action

Find the actions you can take to participate in governance

Find the actions you can take to participate in governance

Have Your Say

Write to an MP

Write to a Committee

Get involved

Petitions

Visit Constituency Offices

Attending and observing parliament

Participating in calls for comment

About

Contact

  • Home »
  • Hansard »
  • 2013 »
  • October »
  • 30 »
  • PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY (Wednesday, 30 October 2013)

No3378E

  • ← No3348E
  • Umphathiswa Wesebe Lezabasetyhini, Abantwana Nabantu Abakhubazekileyo: →
  • (narrative) 30 Oct 2013 hansard
    The MINISTER OF WOMEN, CHILDREN AND PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES: Speaker, in response to the question, our department has beefed up the human capacity of Programme 4 to enable it to carry out planned activities set in the 2013- 14 annual performance plan. In dealing with the strategic plan recently, the department as a whole started to consider a best-practice approach to working collaboratively with different units.
    Link in context Link
  • (narrative) hansard
    The major achievements envisaged in the 2013-14 financial year for Programme 4 include the development of the first 2014 UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities report in line with the 2010 baseline periodic report, which was concluded at the end of the 2012-13 financial year; the development of the National Disability Rights Policy; handling the three baseline studies on access to institutions of higher learning, learnerships and experience of public servants with disabilities; and dealing with the universal access design framework. Thank you.
    Link in context Link
  • Picture of Liezl Linda van der Merwe
    Ms L L Van Der Merwe hansard

    Thank you very much, hon Minister. The problem is underperformance and it is not acceptable, because it is the people with disabilities who suffer the consequences, and to blame it on the shortage of human resources is not an adequate excuse, because another programme that has fewer people actually performed better!

    The main problem is that we haven't got enough passion for and commitment to the plight of people with disabilities. I say this because here in my hand I have a letter that was written to your office in May 2012 bemoaning the plight of the community and I have never got a response from you, hon Minister.

    The reality is that while this department diligently attends African Union and UN conferences, which you have highlighted, and which is evident in the increase in your department's travel expenditure which has tripled from R3,3 million to R9,9 million, the ratification of the conventions has yet to translate into meaningful change in the lives of ordinary people with disabilities. Just this morning we heard that only 0,4% of people with disabilities are employed in government! This is totally unacceptable.

    Considering the absence of legislation which has been in the pipeline for years, what will this underperforming programme do differently in future to ensure that South Africans with disabilities are able to access their fundamental social and economic rights? Thank you.

    The MINISTER OF WOMEN, CHILDREN AND PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES: Speaker, first of all I have already stated that the department is working on the National Disability Rights Policy, which will ensure that accessibility is made universal and that the rights of persons with disabilities are respected.

    I have also referred to the universal access design framework, which will ensure that we work with various departments to ensure that when they design buildings, including schools, they take into consideration the issue of access for persons with disabilities. We are also working very closely with the Department of Public Service and Administration.

    We are looking at the performance assessments or contracts of heads of departments. In November 2012 Cabinet took the decision that part of the key performance areas for heads of departments and accounting officers had to be ensuring that they worked on the 50% target for women in the senior management service and on the 2% target for persons with disabilities in the workforce. We believe that in the coming year we will be working with the Department of Public Service and Administration to ensure that these policies and programmes are implemented. Thank you.

    Link in context Link
  • Picture of Pearl Petersen Maduna
    Ms P Maduna hansard

    Thank you, Speaker. Hon Minister, I just want to know how this policy will affect the lives of the people with disabilities. I am referring to the National Disability Rights Policy, and also the universal access design framework. Thank you.

    The MINISTER OF WOMEN, CHILDREN AND PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES: Speaker, I thank the hon member. The National Disability Rights Policy will assist us in ensuring that people with disabilities have access to education and justice. It will also ensure that we look at possible legislation. As I have said, we are still consulting, particularly the disability sector, to hear from them - the abused - as to whether we can develop this policy into legislation that will assist us to domesticate the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

    The universal access design framework will prescribe universal access to transport, buildings, information such as ICT, and other programmes that we think will help us ensure that people with disabilities, including children in schools, have more access in our country. Thank you.

    Link in context Link
  • Picture of Makhosazana Abigail Alicia Njobe
    Mrs M A A Njobe hansard

    Speaker and hon Minister, given the department's poor performance of achieving less than 40% of its objectives, with a staff complement exceeding its budget, is it not time that this department was incorporated into and mainstreamed with the Department of Social Development? Is there any compelling reason why this should not happen? Thank you.

    The MINISTER OF WOMEN, CHILDREN AND PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES: Somlomo, ndicinga ukuba umama ulahlekile, umama uthetha ngonyaka wama-2012. [Speaker, I think the old lady is confused; she is talking about 2012.]

    Indeed, in 2012 this is where the department was. In regard to the Auditor- General, we were all in the red. However, the hon members can see, the blue lines are indicating that we are going down in every sector in the department. Yes, we achieved 40% of our targets. In June last year we adopted a turnaround strategy that has ensured that we move away from the red - we are in the amber and are now moving into the green - and I want to assure the hon member that by the end of this financial year we will have more wins. This year we have reached over 70% in achieving our targets. In regard to children, we are at 100%, and on women we are over 80% of achieving our targets. Yes, we still have a lot of work to do in the disability sector, but overall we have improved, mama. Let us speak the truth. [Applause.]

    Link in context Link
  • Picture of Helen Lamoela
    Mrs H Lamoela hansard

    Speaker and hon Minister, it is rather sad that four years down the line we still have to do a lot to improve this albatross! These people are the most vulnerable, and through you we are not seeing to their needs.

    My question is also on the National Disability Rights Policy, which I feel is a much-needed tool to strengthen and really help the disabled. After four years of this department's existence, South Africa still does not have a published National Disability Rights Policy. That is what I am looking for: a published National Disability Rights Policy.

    Why am I looking for it? Because it was one of the many targets that were not achieved by your department in the 2012-13 financial year. There is nothing wrong with forming partnerships with the United Nations and other donors, as that may help. But why can't this department take responsibility for finishing this policy? This is a much-needed policy of its own and it was planned and budgeted for in the annual performance plan of the department. Thank you.

    Link in context Link
  • ← No3348E
  • Umphathiswa Wesebe Lezabasetyhini, Abantwana Nabantu Abakhubazekileyo: →

Correct this page

Follow us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram

Sitemap

  • Home
  • Rep Locator
  • People
    • Find by name
    • Parliament
      • National Assembly
      • National Council of Provinces
    • Provinces
      • Eastern Cape
      • Free State
      • Gauteng
      • KwaZulu-Natal
      • Limpopo
      • Mpumalanga
      • Northern Cape
      • North West
      • Western Cape
  • Blog
  • MP Profiles
  • MP Attendance
  • Public Participation
    • Make yourself heard
    • Elections
      • Election 2014 Candidates
      • Election 2019 Candidates
    • Petitions
    • Write to a Committee
  • Hot Topics
    • Questions
    • MP Assets
    • MP Corner
    • Infographics
  • Links
  • Get the data
  • For Representatives

Contact us

People's Assembly
contact@pa.org.za

Tel: (021) 465 8885

Fax: (021) 465 8887

2nd Floor 9 Church Square Parliament Street
Cape Town 8001
South Africa

Disclaimer

The data for this site has been sourced form a range of organisations and websites and often received in formats that are hard to process. As a result, errors can occur - if you see something that you think is an error, please click on the "Correct This Page" button and let us know so that we can investigate. Please click here to read more about our source data.

  • Privacy
  • Give us feedback

This site runs on open source code written by mySociety.