Deputy Speaker, in an ideal world and in an ideal democracy we should not even have a department like this. This is a department that should actually be obsolete because our women, our young people and our people living with disabilities are truly equal members of our society and there should be no discrimination against anyone.
I'm concerned about this department. There are a number of concerns that I have noted in the Budgetary Review and Recommendation Report. Core mandates of the department are lagging behind to the detriment of the people of South Africa.
I have mentioned this before, and I feel I have to reiterate this as it is a project close to my heart: the sanitary dignity project. National Treasury allocated R157 million to this project and distributed this to provincial departments. Then the department budgeted and additional R7,6 million to that allocation for the same project. Yet, there seems to be little to no co- ordination. The question thus begs to be asked: Are our girls being helped? Do our girls have sanitary dignity, and have the lives of these girls been improved since the inception of this project?
I think the answers to these questions will astound us all.
Afrikaans:
As daar gekyk word na die teikens van die departement asook die verbeteringe in hul teikens, sal ons sien dat dit amper uitsluitlik uit Program 1: Administrasie is.
Wanneer gekyk word na kern teikens - core mandates - lyk die prentjie maar power.
Die departement laat die indruk wek dat slegs goed lyk op papier belangriker is as wat die uitset en die werklike sukses van projekte is.
Ek deel die vrees van die Ouditeur-Generaal dat die organogram steeds top- heavy is, met min vakatures, maar dat daar steeds beperkte personneel is om kernprojekte uit te voer.
English:
We can go on and on about this project, but I believe the biggest challenge we face in this department is that it is lacking in proper leadership, as we can see by the empty seat of the Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities. [Time expired.]