Helen Suzman once said, and quote, "I stand for simple justice, equal opportunity and human rights; the indispensable elements in a democratic society and well worth fighting for."
Today, the DA's vision of an open opportunity society for all encapsulates the values of justice, equal opportunity and human rights. The DA's vision is one where people are given equal opportunities in order to better themselves and climb the ladder of prosperity and become whatever they choose to and not remain dependent on the state for their survival. The Department of Social Development has an important role to play in this regard.
Many South Africans need state assistance and have to interact with the department and the SA Social Security Agency, Sassa, on a monthly basis when they receive their grants. Sassa has embarked on a massive reregistration campaign in order to ensure that all those who should be receiving grants are receiving them, and that those who should not be receiving them are removed from the system.
By and large, the results have been positive and the DA supports this venture despite some hiccups. I want to take this opportunity to thank Sassa's staff for responding to all the queries that I have sent through.
I will not talk about the issuing of the R10 billion tender to Cash Paymaster Services, CPS, for the administration of the grants as the issue is currently before the High Court. Once the legal process is completed, I will be resubmitting my questions about this controversial tender.
Another area of concern for the DA is that of the regulations relating to the application for and payment of social assistance, which are not being properly implemented. These regulations place conditions on caregivers to ensure that all children in receipt of a grant attend school and should provide the director-general, DG, of the department proof of this within one month of receiving the grant and every six months thereafter. This has not been done. The DG should have been receiving millions of school reports every six months. These conditions should not be seen as punitive but rather as a positive condition in ensuring that all our children attend school.
We do welcome the recent memorandum of understanding signed between the Departments of Basic Education and Social Development where their databases will be compared in order to identify any children that are not attending school. If used correctly, this information could be pivotal in ensuring that many more children actually complete school.
The question we should be asking is why so many people are dependent on grants. The answer is simple: because of the failed economic policies of this ANC-led government in those ventures. There is a direct correlation between our country's current unemployment crisis and the large number of people dependent on grants. There is a direct correlation. It's a concern that 16 million people are indeed dependent on social grants. We do recognise that many families' only income is from social grants, which do alleviate poverty, but do not eradicate it - and there must be a distinction.
I want to assure all South Africans that the DA will not take away any person's pension, child support grant or any other grant for that matter, when we become the leading government. The desperate ANC, which clearly does not know how to solve the unemployment crisis that is facing our country, is spreading a lie. In fact, the DA goes beyond the call of duty, and we believe that there should be a safety net for the poor.
Last year alone, the DA-led government in the Western Cape provided additional services to vulnerable people by providing for nearly 1 300 people with disabilities to stay in state-funded residential facilities, and a further 23 000 people received nonresidential support services. The province has also allocated 6 000 spaces in department-funded residential facilities for older persons and nearly 17 000 in community-based programmes. Furthermore, we provided 65 000 subsidised spaces in early childhood development centres for children between 0 and 5 years old.
The DA-led government will ensure that we have a growing economy which will free millions from the shackles of poverty and allow people to move from welfare to work. The DA feels the pain of the millions that are unemployed, but we are determined to better their future. In fact, only two days ago the latest unemployment figures were released, indicating an increase to 25,2%, nationally.
When discouraged workseekers are taken into account, the broad unemployment rate has reached a staggering 38% - that's 7 million people. This means that there are 1,2 million more South Africans who are unemployed today than there were on the day Jacob Zuma became President. Furthermore, the DA- run Western Cape bucked the trend by creating 8 000 jobs during the same period. The DA has a plan, and the ANC clearly does not. [Interjections.]
Yes, we need a safety net for those who cannot look after themselves. However, we also need a growing economy with job opportunities so people can achieve their potential. The DA's 8% growth plan and specifically our youth wage subsidy will help to achieve this.
The department is facing a management crisis. When the budget was presented to us, seven out of the eight top management positions were vacant. We have heard that the position of the DG was finally filled. We would like to congratulate the new DG and we are looking forward to working with him. Out of the seven deputy director-general positions, only one is currently filled. Minister, you are the accounting officer for your department, and it is your responsibility and duty to ensure that these critical posts are filled and that your department fulfils its mandate - which clearly is not the case.
There is a managerial crisis, which has a direct impact on the functioning of your department. Some examples I would like to cite are the following.
The Child Protection Register, which you did not mention, Minister, is a complete and utter disaster. Minister, you can laugh about it because it is a joke; not to mention that it is an embarrassment to our country. Minister, why is it that last year a dismal 438 names appeared on the register, and that in April this year, the names had declined to a pathetic 305? Why is it like that? How can someone's name be taken off the register? Can you explain the 30% decline in the names in the register, Minister? I don't think you can. [Interjections.]
The Central Drug Authority, CDA, is another example where the department failed in its duty. The department failed to ensure that Parliament was given sufficient time to interview and appoint CDA board members. As a result, from September last year to just over a month ago, we had no board. We still do not have a national drug master plan. Given the destruction that substance abuse is causing throughout our communities, it boggles the mind that you have allowed this to happen. It is an absolute disgrace. And if you look at the newspapers, any day of the week - for example, an article that appeared in The Star read, "A mother's drug hell" - what people are going through on the ground every day due to substance abuse and how it is ravishing our country is an indictment of your department.
Other areas of concern are around the slashing of funding to core issues. Can the Minister explain why funding to the subprogrammes for substance abuse has been cut by 18% despite the scourge, for youth by 29% and for older persons by 33%? I do not accept the explanation given by officials that these cuts were due to efficiency savings through noncore functions such as advertising, venues and travel. I do not accept that these subprogrammes had "that amount of fat" in them in the first place. You went for the soft targets, Minister.
Another area of extreme concern for the DA is that of social workers. We all now agree that we need 66 000 social workers to implement the Children's Act alone. The department has reported and admitted that their current policy on training of social workers is an absolute failure and that it will take decades to reach the target. I am pleased to say that the committee recognised this and had in its report called on the Minister to review her policy and report back to the committee on how she intends to achieve those targets.
If the Minister and her department really wanted to cut the fat and wasteful expenditure, she should have looked no further than the National Development Agency, NDA. Everything the NDA does, from early childhood development centres to food programmes, the department is already doing. Yes, the DA wants poor people to benefit from such programmes, but why do we need an additional organisation that is top heavy and delivers very little compared to the amount of money they receive?
Let me elaborate. The NDA received a budget of R171 million. The 125 employees are paid on average R519 000 per annum - that is a staggering salary bill of R64,8 million or 38% of the total budget. It has become an employment agency. In addition, 26% or R43,8 million goes towards goods and services, which includes a 600% increase for the board's expenses. Payment for capital assets is R3,2 million, which includes a 1000% increase for furniture and fixtures.
Once you have paid the fat-cat salaries, board expenses and bought new furniture, we are left with 35%, or R59 million, for actual projects - that is one rand in every three rands.
The NDA should be closed down with immediate effect, and the department can simply continue to deliver where the NDA is not. It will make no difference. If we are to stand for simple justice, equal opportunity and human rights, the Minister and her department need to do some deep soul- searching. I thank you very much. [Applause.]