Deputy Chairperson, hon Minister, hon MECs, hon members and guests, it is a great pleasure for me to be given this opportunity to address members on the policy review on social services and population development. Firstly, I want to congratulate the Minister and the MECs for the good work done in the Department of Welfare and Population Development. Since this department is people-based, it has to make the lives of our people better, especially those of the aged, the children, the disabled and the women.
Concerning the management of social grants, we know and understand that there is a social security section which deals with social grants, and which has proved to be effective and efficient. They have established pension committees to help to raise the concerns of the beneficiaries. The training programme was in place for the committees to understand their role. The social grant needs to be marketed widely in all languages so that the needy and deserving previously disadvantaged people can access the information. The grants should be marketed extensively on radio which is the best marketing vehicle for rural communities. Our constituency offices and local councils should also be used to disseminate the information to the communities. At all our meetings, social grants need to be an item on the agenda.
The department is aware of the frustrations of people at different pay points. We understand and know that the aged queue from morning to sunset. However, the department will put in place a plan in order to try and improve the services at the pay points by introducing smart cards, and the aged will be trained on how to use those smart card. Shelters will be erected in order to protect the aged from the sun and the rain. Working with economic affairs, the department will establish village banks. They will extend the pay dates in order to minimise the problem of long queues and also establish other pay points if there is a need, so that the aged need not travel long distances. The aged have to register a person they trust to receive the grant on their behalf.
The department alone cannot manage this, but we as legislators need to play a role. During our constituency period, we need to meet with the pension committees and hear their concerns and visit the pay points during paydays and monitor whether the services provided are according to the policy and plans of the department.
Concerning fraud and corruption, we know and understand that fraud is still a problem. However, the department has come up with a strategy to combat this. The province is continuing with the reregistration of beneficiaries and advocates for the development of the integration of the Government and private sector system for screening applications for grants. Fraud units, an anticorruption unit and the departmental investigation unit have been established to deal with fraud and corruption. The department has also developed a partnership with the SAPS, TLCs and community structures in order to assist in rooting out fraud and corruption.
The integration of the 14 welfare systems into one has afforded all citizens access to welfare services.
Concerning poverty alleviation, the province records a poverty rate of 57% despite its contribution of 8,15% to the total GDP. An estimated amount of R28 billion is required to close the poverty gap in South Africa. The most affected areas are the former homelands and some rural farming communities. Areas identified as poverty pockets are former Kangwane and KwaNdebele which accommodate 51% of the total population of the province, of which, coincidentally, 99% is African.
There is a relationship between poverty and the unemployment rate, which is approximately 37%. The unemployment rate in the above-mentioned former homelands is not less than 42%. The provincial department and the national department are currently involved in the process of reviewing all the poverty projects with the aim of developing a sustainable model of poverty eradication. One hundred and eighty-six projects have benefited from the R9,6 million allocated from the national budget for 1998-99. Of this, an amount of R2 million is earmarked for the community empowerment pilot project at Mjejane. The main thrust of this pilot project is to initiate a large-scale poverty intervention project and develop indicators, and to build up the skills and expertise of other departments and stakeholders.
Staff involved in the poverty alleviation programmes have been trained on project management, and there are 16 cluster co-ordinators charged with the development of income generation and financial management. The present funding of poverty alleviation projects has been done through the national department. The criteria for funding has been too restrictive for the poorest of the poor communities to access these funds, due to the requirements laid down by the national department.
Funding has also been disbursed through the national disbursement agency. Recommendations have been made to the national department to allocate funding to provinces' and that provinces should develop funding criteria based on the needs and circumstances of the province. In this way, the department will be able to provide funding to poor communities using poverty pockets as a basis of targeting poverty alleviation projects.
With regard to HIV-Aids, orphans of this pandemic qualify for the foster care grant. An amount of R13 million has been set aside by the national department to be accessed to provinces. Tonga has been identified a pilot site for the integrated approach, which encompasses home-based care, voluntary testing and counselling, and life-skills training for schools and outreach programmes. We have received recent statistics which reveal that Schoemansdal has 705 children affected or infected. This information is still being analysed by the department to determine how many children are infected or affected. The department is continuing to provide support to organisations involved in the development of home-based care projects in Evander, Standerton, Malelane, White River, Witbank, KwaMhlanga and Nkomazi.
Regarding the impact of HIV-Aids on the welfare system, the department has developed home-based care and support for people living with HIV-Aids and infected children, promoted voluntariness and community participation in caring for people living with HIV-Aids, and provided counselling services to people living with HIV-Aids. The impact will be very high on the welfare budget as the number of affected people and the number of orphans to be cared for increases. It is important that communities be sensitised in providing home-based care for the orphans of HIV-Aids, so that as many orphans as possible can benefit from social grants instead of becoming institutionalised.
We need to take the issue of HIV-Aids seriously. While the department is providing the home-based care, we need to have an awareness programme. We need to join hands with churches, communities, NGOs, CBOs, student organisations and other departments to conscientise people about HIV-Aids. This will assist in minimising the number of deaths and orphans. I think prevention is better than cure.
We also appreciate the support given by the department with regard to educare centres. We understand that the department is providing nutrition to children, while the Department of Education is responsible for the payment of salaries for teachers. We need to note that the Department cannot assist all the educare centres at once, but that it will be a process. As legislators, we also need to visit those centres and monitor whether children are getting food as expected.
We appreciate the phasing out of the state maintenance grant. This is a good move, since only the minority group was benefiting from it. Currently about 222 000 children are receiving the CSG grant. The target of the Department of social services in Mpumalanga is to reach 210 000 children by the year 2004. Again, we need to assist the department to reach its target by informing the people about this grant, calling community meetings, and assisting parents who have children under the age of seven to go and apply for this grant. We must also make follow-ups of whether the grants are received in time and as expected.
Some people are saying that there is no difference.
In conclusion, I want to say: onamehlo makabone; onezindlebe makezwe [those who have eyes, must see; and those who have ears, must hear.] [Applause.]