Hon Chairperson of the NCOP, hon members, representatives of the welfare community, distinguished guests, comrades and friends, I am pleased to present the Budget Vote of the Department of Welfare and Population Development to the National Council of Provinces. In making this Budget speech, I would like to reiterate a statement made by President Mbeki during his opening address to Parliament in February this year. He stated that whereas in the past suffering and degradation were the only things that were certain in the lives of millions of our people, hope has now taken the place of despair.
In my Budget Vote speech today I wish to focus on the steps that the national department and provincial governments have taken in the field of social welfare and development to ensure that hope takes the place of despair.
When I introduced the Welfare debate in the National Assembly on 18 April I indicated that during the first period of democratic government the foundations were laid for a restructuring of the welfare system. My predecessor led the introduction of significant policy and legislative changes within the framework of the Constitution and the Reconstruction and Development Programme. The White Paper on Social Welfare as well as a number of other policies provide examples of policy changes in social welfare since 1994.
The fact that there have been sweeping changes that have touched the lives of millions of people in our country is unquestionable, but touching the lives of the poorest of the poor is not enough. As Government, and especially as the Department of Welfare, we have to ensure that the way we work at national, provincial and local levels does not lead to the alienation and further marginalisation of the most vulnerable sectors of our communities.
How do we transform our approaches, our welfare systems, our work behaviour, and organise our departments at national and provincial levels to begin to make a real difference to the people who matter? How do we ensure that we do not squeeze out care, the invisible heart of human development and social transformation, in the way we work?
To do this we have to understand our constitutional mandate as well as our relationship with provincial governments. Moreover, we need to translate the principle of co-operative governance into reality so that there is clarity on what people can expect of us as we attempt to respond to their needs. Today I will share with hon members how we are giving effect to this.
Within the policy and legislative environment that has been established to deal with the legacy of apartheid and social welfare provisions, we are, at both national and provincial level, required to implement national legislation, and policy and programme initiatives to address poverty, social disintegration and other persistent social problems and ills.
The national department is obliged to assist each provincial welfare department to understand the legislative and programme imperatives that drive the work of the Government. To do this, we have undertaken to work together, all of us, both at national and provincial levels, to implement a 10-point programme that has come out of national and provincial processes of engagement with people and organisations of civil society.
The members of the council of Welfare Ministers are, like me, new entrants in the welfare field in this term of government. However, let me add that we are not new to the issues of poverty we are grappling with. We are working together, with me as an invaluable and crucial link to those we serve.
In our engagement on the wide-ranging problems that need to be dealt with to provide an effective welfare and development service, the council of Welfare Ministers is challenged to, firstly, implement the 10-point plan in a strategic programme of action within the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework and provincial budget allocations. Secondly, their task is to identify the blocks in the way of the implementation of welfare services and to devise ways of addressing these. Thirdly, they must monitor the implementation of the programmes and the performance of provincial welfare departments in fulfilling constitutional obligations and reaching performance targets. Fourthly, they must mobilise action with our stakeholders, civil society organisations and the welfare sector to accelerate social delivery to those most at risk and in need. Fifthly, they must support the implementation of the national Government's priorities, undertake such corrective measures as may be required to deal with the backlogs in welfare services, and function as a forum for collective executive decision-making on related matters.
I have visited almost all the provinces, with the exception of the Northern Cape, to gain an understanding of the state of welfare, and monitor what is happening. My MECs have joined me in my visits and meetings to expose some of the problems and to find ways to address these.
We are determined that systematic attempts be made to root out inefficiency, corruption and indifference. In this we are all united. We may not be able to see the type of changes that we want as quickly as is needed, but let me assure hon members that we must and will change the way we work in welfare and development.
These are not just promises. As hon members are aware, during the debate on the Poverty Relief Programme on 9 March in the NCOP, I detailed the many problems that had bedevilled the programme. Today I would like to report on the actions we have taken to bring the principles of human development and social protection into welfare practice.
We continue to implement an integrated poverty eradication strategy that provides direct benefits to those who are in greatest need within a sustainable development approach. During the past year we supported 1 933 projects in provinces and 15 national programmes. These projects assisted approximately 11 197 women, 2 904 men, and 2 055 youths and disabled persons. Detailed information on the projects that have received funds is available on the Department of Welfare's website. This can be found at www.welfare.gov.za.
Corrective measures have been instituted to deal with problems related to the initial delays in the disbursement of welfare and poverty relief funds. These measures include, firstly, a financial audit of the poverty relief disbursements made in the 1997-98 and 1998-99 financial years. Secondly, the responsibilities and roles of national and provincial departments have been clarified. In the Minmec we have established a committee, which I chair, to ensure the alignment of all projects with programme objectives. Provinces have been assigned a larger role in project selection, and the national department will be responsible for co-ordinating the monitoring and evaluation of the programme. Accountability structures with detailed guidelines are being established for all sectors.
In addition, we have established a partnership with a number of faith-based organisations and NGOs working in the area of poverty relief. Based on these consultations, guidelines are being drawn up on ways of improving the programme management processes in the poverty relief fund.
The role of the Independent Development Trust, or IDT, as a disbursement agency has been invaluable in the poverty relief programme. Its disbursement role will be enhanced to encompass a monitoring and capacity- building function. This monitoring and evaluation will include a central role for the NGO and faith-based sectors.
These protocols need to have acceptable guidelines for the selection of projects, disbursement procedures, financial and professional accountability and evaluation. We will ensure that national and provincial departments of welfare have the requisite procedures and systems for effective financial control, management, monitoring and accountability.
Further initiatives, as part of the integrated poverty eradication strategy, include the community empowerment programmes currently being piloted in the North West province. Plans are under way to extend this programme to Mpumalanga. The main aim of this programme is to build community capacity to plan and manage a range of locally-based development initiatives.
The micro-save programme in KwaZulu-Natal, the Northern Province and the Eastern Cape, as part of the Integrated and Sustainable Rural Development Strategy, is being improved. These programmes aim to strengthen the stokvel- type savings collectives to promote a culture of saving and the economic viability of microenterprises for poor households, and especially for women. We have forged new partnerships with organisations such as People's Dialogue and appreciate the technical support provided by the United Nations Development Programme and the International Labour Organisation in these programmes.
I would like to address the issue of social security. A key policy objective of our social security system is to provide social assistance to those citizens who are not able to provide for themselves. The social assistance programme provides benefits to approximately 3 million of the most vulnerable people in our society, namely older persons, persons with disabilities, and children under the age of seven years.
The intake roll of the child support grant has increased from 36 000 in April 1999 to 334 000 in March 2000. This represents an increase of almost 1 000%. In seven of the provinces the re-registration process is almost complete. This process is designed to clean the database and eliminate fraud from the system.
The South African Constitution grants everyone the right to have access to social security and appropriate social assistance for those individuals who are unable to support themselves. It also obliges the state to implement measures to ensure the progressive realisation of these rights. Cabinet has therefore established a committee of investigation into social security. This committee will make a proposal on how we develop a comprehensive social security system that links contributory and noncontributory schemes and prioritises the most vulnerable households. The Department of Welfare is leading this critical process.
An important part of its brief includes an investigation into the extension of social protection to the working poor, unwaged workers and all those currently not covered by any form of assistance. Furthermore, it has been charged with the task of working on the proposal from the Jobs Summit for a basic income grant, or what I prefer to call a development grant.
The committee has already held two meeetings to take forward its brief. It has met with both national and international experts in the field of social security and has worked out a detailed plan on how it will involve the provinces, civil society, Government departments and relevant stakeholders, including workers' organisations and business in its deliberations.
A progress report on what has been done by this committee thus far will be given to me in the next two weeks. I will ensure that the provinces and this House get the report as soon as possible. Since the committee's work has major significance for us, as we attempt to promote national interests and provide for the poorest people, we will ensure that the process is thorough and comprehensive. As such, the work of the committee will be conducted over a period of at least 12 to 18 months and will involve vigorous investigation, debate and proposals based on South African realities.
A new welfare payment and information service is also being established to improve the operational efficiency of the welfare system. However, all these initiatives need to be supported by appropriate infrastructural development at provincial level to ensure that pensioners do not suffer in long queues.
Another issue of concern is the increase in the number of litigation cases against the provinces with regard to their implementation of the regulations of the Social Assistance Act of 1992. We are actively working with the provinces to ensure that this situation is addressed speedily.
We have strengthened programmes to respond to the brutal effects of all forms of violence against women and children and older persons. The department has established 60 one-stop service centres through which abused women and children can receive assistance. The high level of abuse against elderly persons is unacceptable and is being urgently addressed. The committee of inquiry into the abuse of the elderly which was established at the end of March 2000 will be submitting its report by September. The committee has visited traditional leaders in the Northern Province, the North West and the Eastern Cape to secure their support. Provincial visits and public hearings have been held in the Free State, the Northern Cape and the Eastern Cape.
Negotiations with the Minister of Safety and Security are under way to ensure the protection of older persons when they receive their pension payments. The free reign that criminals and loan sharks have had to harass and intimidate older persons on pension payment days will soon come to an end. A national audit of the physical infrastructure used for the disbursement of welfare grant payments is being commissioned. The infrastructure and associated working conditions make it extremely difficult for staff to render an efficient service.
Discussions with the Minister of Health to ensure the provision of adequate first aid and medical services for older persons, when they go to receive their pension payments, are also to be held.
Urgent attention has been given to the development of a national strategy to reduce the number of young people in trouble with the law and to promote youth development. Our prevention and remedial services for youth have sought to accelerate the transformation of the youth and child care system to ensure that our interventions are developmental. We have introduced 15 child and youth care service projects in 8 provinces with development assistance from the Netherlands government. One of these projects, ``Stepping Stones'' in the Eastern Cape, won an award for innovative service delivery. The Netherlands government recommended that it should become an international learning site. I wish to congratulate those involved in this project in the provincial department of welfare in the Eastern Cape. These projects have provided best-practice models for ongoing work in this field.
While the national and provincial departments are concerned about the increasing number of children in prisons and police cells, most provinces are in the process of establishing secure care facilities that meet the specified minimum requirements. I would like to single out two provinces. The Northern Cape now has two secure care centres - one in Kimberley and the other in Upington. The Free State is exploring the feasibility of combining its exemplary secure care facilities with a one-stop youth justice centre.
The most critical aspect of our work with young people is our response to one of the fastest growing incidence of HIV-Aids in the world. Our response to the HIV-Aids epidemic requires that we confront the denial, fear and stigmatisation associated with the disease. All of this is not possible without greater involvement from people living with and/or affected by HIV- Aids. One of the challenges for the Department of Welfare is to create an enabling and supportive environment for children infected and affected by HIV-Aids. A particular challenge is to ensure the rights and development of Aids orphans.
We have engaged in extensive consultation with the provinces and have collectively drawn up a national integrated plan for children infected and affected by HIV-Aids. The plan is a joint venture and is an effort between the departments of Welfare, Education and Health. In order to accelerate the implementation of the plan, the departments of Welfare and Health have held a joint Minmec meeting to assess the most effective ways of supporting community and home-based care. The Government has allocated an amount of R6 million to Welfare for this programme over the next year. The child protection week campaign which took place between 28 May and 3 June 2000 under the leadership of the Department of Welfare has once again served to ensure that this issue remains in the public spotlight.
It is very significant that, for the first time in our nation's history, we have also been able to spearhead and implement an Angolan solidarity programme. We are committed to mobilising the people of South Africa to provide humanitarian assistance to the people of Angola. This year, as we celebrate and commemorate the International Day of the Child, National Youth Day and Child Abuse Prevention Week, we will be highlighting the linkages to the Angola solidarity programme. An interdepartmental committee for solidarity with Angola has been in place since February and has been responsible for organising the Angola Focus weeks, which ran from 15 May to 30 May 2000. The public response has been overwhelming and encouraging. Many organisations and individuals have made contributions and many more are still coming forward. Contributions have been received from faith-based organisations, provinces, individuals and the business sector. Even prisoners from Cullinan have donated shoes for Angolan victims of war. Let me take this opportunity to thank all those that have contributed to this campaign. Nangamso ningadinwa. [Do the same to other people as well.] I make a heartfelt appeal to all our people: People should support the Angola appeal fund.
The disaster relief fund has processed applications for assistance due to various floods, tornadoes, and veldfires across the country. We are committed to making social welfare services accessible and available to people in rural, periurban and informal settlements. Ensuring equity in service provision is critical to the caring society that we are trying to build. I am therefore pleased to report that, with respect to access and coverage, our service provision is increasingly reaching the poorest members of our communities. There is a significant shift away from a race- based welfare system to one that is needs-based, but racism and inequities will take some time to overcome. I would like to conclude this Budget Vote speech by reiterating our commitment to co-operative governance. The MECs for social welfare in the provinces, and the full range of civil society organisations, including voluntary, welfare and faith-based organisations, have been working with me and my department to find practical solutions to their problems. I commend their commitment to addressing the needs of the poorest of the poor and I am sure that, together, we can develop a process based on accountability, responsiveness, efficiency and equity.
We have been working on a number of fronts to change the welfare system. I have only dealt with a few in my speech to the House today. Can we say that we are reinventing the system by bringing care, the invisible heart of human development, into the system? I hope so. Let us work together so that hope can take the place of despair.
I would like to take this opportunity also to thank the Department of Welfare, the director-general and all the management concerned in the work that they have done who have been able to help me achieve what has been put in front of me by the people of South Africa. [Applause.]