The Honourable Member must refer to my previous replies to questions 727 on 30 April 2015 and questions 952, 1011 and 1596 on 26 May 2015. Partnerships for Social Development present many opportunities. They allow different sectors of society to have access to the comparative advantages of their partners. Again, international cooperation is becoming increasingly important in development because of growing trans-border challenges and major population movements.
The Department is therefore involved in a number of bilateral and multilateral engagements where South Africa is both a partner and a member. The country and Department in particular benefits from these international partnerships through capacity building, development support and information exchanges. The Department regularly conducts an overall assessment of partnership arrangements which focus on long-term view that goes beyond short-term financial goals Partnership often exact large costs in time, energy and financial inputs otherwise known as high transaction costs. Given the importance and desirability of foreign partnerships, high transaction costs are often unavailable. The Department while engaging with partners fully considers benefits on costs, short term versus long-term implications and potential impact of social development.