Chairperson, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate all the women that the Minister spoke of this morning and to say, "Well done". Unfortunately, you are one in a million.
The National Development Plan clearly stipulates that a developmental state builds the capabilities of people to improve their own lives while intervening to protect the rights of the most vulnerable citizens, and this is the core role and responsibility of this department. Unfortunately, it has failed thus far to develop smart objectives linked to detailed targets and indicators, but high performance bonuses are awarded at the end of the year. For what? For failing to deliver? It's shocking!
The DA believes that the future strength of our country's economy lies within the South African people themselves. Hence, we have developed the 8% growth policy project and have implemented the youth wage subsidy.
The gender-based violence crisis and the rape pandemic have reached disastrous levels. The girl-child continues to suffer abuse and death as the cultural practice of ukuthwala claimed more than 30 lives in one province in one month. The government should intervene urgently and appropriately in order to protect the children from the abuse of this practice.
In August 2012 a workshop was held in Kopanong and the department participated in the deliberations on this practice. Some of the recommendations were that the department should, firstly, develop an intersectoral strategy for the management of ukuthwala; secondly, develop a policy directive to facilitate the management of this practice at grass- roots level and disseminate it to all departments that have a role to play in the care and protection of children; and, lastly, develop a communications strategy on ukuthwala that includes the government's view of the practice, the legal position and the sanctions, and this communications strategy should be widely circulated. However, nine months down the line, nothing has been done.
Almost 50% of social contact crime cases reported are committed against women and children, yet the department continues to fail to plan, consolidate and co-ordinate working instruments.
It is worth noting that the DA-run Western Cape province has created 298 work opportunities for unemployed matriculants. Furthermore, this year the province will establish youth cafs where young people from across the board can meet, gather, socialise, learn and explore.
Earlier this year the committee did an oversight at the department's premises and was shocked to experience the triple challenge of poverty, employment - not unemployment, but employment - and inequality within the same building of this department.
There was severe poverty in most offices, as they lacked basic proper office furniture, such as filing cabinets. Files were lying on the floor in almost 98% of the offices. Frankly, how do we expect them to perform when they don't have the tools of the trade? Staff are working in their offices and using them as tearooms, because no tearooms have been provided. Where is "batho pele" here? Where is employee wellness in this department? Therefore, I say that being employed in this department is a challenge, as my colleague has already stated.
Going to the Minister's office was like moving to another planet within the same building. There is a very posh reception area, which tells you more about the Minister's office which, unfortunately, we could not gain access to or see. Earlier this year it was revealed that the department had splashed out R2,1 million's worth of state funds to decorate the Minister's head office. Therefore the inequality was so evident and unbelievable during our oversight visit.
According to the five-year expenditure review of national departments, this department has been overspending on its budget since inception, mostly on travelling, venues and the compensation of employees. The trend of overspending in the administration programme and underspending on core mandates continues. The 66% underspending on the programme on the rights of people with disabilities is one example. There is overspending in the administration programme: More than a third of last year's budget was earmarked for salaries, with overspending of 112% on employee salaries because staff members were appointed above the designated notches. According to the Deputy Director-General of the National Treasury, Andrew Donaldson, this department is, "clearly a department that has not yet got its financial management in order".
The rate of vacant and funded posts currently stand at 12%. The department should expedite the filling of these posts, including the employment of people with disabilities in its own department. This includes a CEO for the newly established National Council Against Gender-based Violence, which is a huge financial concern.
With the 2013-14 budget allocation for travel and subsistence standing at R16 million, surpassing the budget for children's rights and responsibilities, which is R9,9 million, and the budget for the rights of people with disabilities, which stands at R13,9 million, the department's priorities are clearly still a little bit out of line. The reduction in the allocation to these programmes will result in a disjuncture between programme policies and implementation. This should be closely monitored.
Maladministration and corruption continue to thrive within the department. The Fluxmans report gave shocking findings: an allegation that one official was awarded R180 000 for working overtime; a nurse was appointed as a director over someone who was more qualified for the position; bursaries amounting to thousands of rands were awarded without any repayment agreement; and some of the Minister's friends were given preference over better qualified candidates for senior management positions. This is unethical and directly talks to the reasons why, year in and year out, this department has not moved an inch in achieving its goals. It is no wonder there is always a discrepancy between what the department says it has achieved and what the Auditor-General reports. There is a need to strengthen the monitoring and evaluation system through turnaround times, which should be established and adhered to.
The education system in our country is failing the children of South Africa. If a Grade 6 teacher fails the assessment test that he or she administers to a Grade 6 pupil, what about the learners with disabilities, where we have about 985 educators teaching deaf learners basic South African sign language skills when they do not have the appropriate qualifications? And there are 781 educators who have a basic knowledge of Braille, but don't have qualifications.
The justice system, the health system and the housing department all continue to fail the South African child. It should also be noted that the child support grant is the smallest of all the social grants available to children. The South African child's life and future is in danger, let alone the South African child with disabilities and, even worse, the South African child with disabilities in a rural area.
This department has not finalised the African Union's African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, which was due in 2002. It will only be submitted now in July 2013, together with the State Party Report on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. The late submission of international and African conventions ... I thank you. [Time expired.] [Applause.]