Chairperson, hon Minister of Social Development and all Ministers present, hon Deputy Minister and all Deputy Ministers present, MECs, hon members, ladies and gentlemen, today we are debating the third Budget Vote of Social Development. It is our Minister's first budget speech and I want to use this opportunity to congratulate her on a job well done. [Applause.]
Vote 19 has a huge responsibility to the citizens of South Africa, especially to the vulnerable groups in our society: our women, children, older persons and persons with disabilities. The mission statement of the department reflects that ethos. It says, and I quote:
To ensure the provision of comprehensive social services which protect the poor and vulnerable within the framework of the South African Constitution and subsequent legislation; create an enabling environment for sustainable development; and deliver ... quality welfare services in partnership with all those committed to building a caring society.
The portfolio committee considered the tabled annual strategic plans, the annual performance plan and the budget allocated to the department and its entities. Discussions were frank and enquiring and the committee made several recommendations, which I will refer to later in my speech.
The budget of Vote 19, when compared with other national departments, is quite impressive. It receives the largest slice of the pie allocated to this cluster. It consists of five programmes, which are: Administration; Social Assistance; Social Security Policy and Administration; Welfare Services Policy Development and Implementation Support; and Social Development and Integrated Service Delivery. This all have a total of well over R104 billion.
The budget received an R8,8 billion increase in nominal terms and a real increase of R3,9 billion from the previous financial year. This is a 4,2% increase. This increase is mainly due to the department's prioritising in order to improve social assistance and developmental welfare services. The biggest portion of the department's budget goes to transfers and subsidies.
The department has received a qualified audit opinion for the first time in over a decade. I hope that the 2011 financial year will result in a different opinion, hon Minister. I want to recommend to you that the Department of Social Development, through its internal audit committees, audits performance information on a quarterly basis. This will greatly enhance programme managers' responsibility with regard to programme information for compliance purposes and accurate financial information for audit purposes. This checks-and-balances approach will greatly enhance the provision of qualitative information and not the stale statements that get recycled without any substance for the sake of compliance. Thus there is still room to improve the performance management within the department.
A word of caution, however, hon Minister - an internal audit unit is only effective when it is adequately resourced and its recommendations are taken seriously in order for them to be implemented by the department and its entities. The accounting officer and the various CEOs of its entities and the programme managers should report to you on a quarterly basis on their progress.
The key priorities as reported are the following. Firstly, there is the reduction in substance abuse, linked to Government Outcome 2, which is a long and healthy life for all South Africans. Next there is the priority of tackling social crime, linked to Government Outcome 3, where all people in South Africa are, and feel, safe. The third one is the promotion and establishment of early childhood development centres, linked to Government Outcome 1, which is quality basic education. Fourthly, there is community development, which is linked to Government Outcome 7, which deals with vibrant, equitable, sustainable rural communities contributing to food security. Number 5 is the provision of comprehensive social security, linked to Government Outcome 4, which is decent employment through inclusive growth. The sixth is strengthening of nongovernmental organisations, which is linked to Government Outcome 1, and also Outcomes 7 and 2 and so on. Then there is number 7, zero hunger, which is linked to Government Outcome 7 dealing with food security.
With regard to Social Assistance, this programme has the largest budget, that is R97,8 billion, which takes a 93% bite of the department's budget for this current financial year. We all know that this programme makes possible the payment of grants to our most needy citizens - all 15 million of them. I am sure by today the number could be different, hon Minister. These grants provide income support to many of the elderly, disabled persons, children and families.
The establishment of Sassa five years ago was an interesting one. Whilst establishing themselves, they also had to focus on a continuous basis on improving service delivery to their clients, and that has remained a priority for them up until today.
Iemand het eendag vir my ges 'n mens wat nie werk nie maak nie foute nie. Die laat indiening van die finansile state en die gepaardgaande gevolge, naamlik in swak ouditeursverslag, is 'n goeie les vir SAAMS. Hulle het hul plig versuim en die komitee is bly dat hulle korrektiewe stappe gedoen het om die leemtes en nalatigheid reg te stel. Die komitee sien egter uit na die volgende verslag van die Ouditeur-generaal. Tog sal ek s dat goeie finansile bestuur, op senior- sowel as intreevlak, 'n goeie begin is en dit skep ook goeie werketiek. Die leemte wat tans bestaan, moet aan gewerk word. SAAMS moet ook begin om mense te werf wat die regte kwalifikasie en bestuurvermo het. Dit sal natuurlik dienslewering op voetsoolvlak, sowel as bestuursvlak, baie verbeter. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraph follows.)
[Somebody once told me that a person who does not work does not make mistakes. The late submission of the financial statements and the concomitant results, namely a poor auditor's report, have been a good lesson for Sassa. They failed in their duty and the committee appreciates the fact that they implemented corrective steps to rectify the gaps and negligence. However, the committee awaits the next report of the Auditor- General. Yet I would say that good financial management at senior level, as well as at the entry-level, is a good starting point and it also creates good work ethics. The gap that presently exists must be addressed. Sassa should also take steps to recruit people with the right qualifications and management abilities. It will of course greatly improve service delivery at grass-roots as well as management level.]
Hon Minister, I think your vacant funded posts should also be filled timeously.
Die gebruik van konsultante moet verseker dat vaardighede aan bestaande personeel oorgedra word. Maandelikse finansile verslae moet van so 'n gehalte wees dat berekende besluite gemaak kan word wat dienslewering sal bevorder en nie benadeel nie. Rekonsiliasies moet op 'n maandelikse basis gemaak word, veral waar jou betaalrol verskil van jou "accounting system".
Agb Minister, ek is baie bly dat daar gekyk word na maniere waarop die betaling van toelaes kan geskied om koste te bespaar en sodoende meer geld vir toelaes beskikbaar te maak. Dit is beslis vir ons mense by die huis baie goeie nuus. Ten opsigte van die interministerile en interdepartementele proses om pleegsorgtoelaes meer toeganklik te maak met die verlenging van die hofdae of selfs om meer hofdae vir pleegsorgverhore te kry, is ek seker dat dit ook baie goeie nuus vir ons mense by die huis is. Tog sal die komitee ook meer wil weet en ons sal die departement ook graag weer na die komitee nooi. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[The use of consultants must to ensure that skills are transferred to existing staff. Monthly financial reports have to be of such quality that well-considered decisions can be taken which will improve service delivery and not detrimentally affect it. Reconciliations have to be made on a monthly basis, especially when your pay roll differs from your accounting system.
Hon Minister, I am very glad that consideration is given to ways in which the payment of grants can be made in order to save costs and, in so doing, making more money available for grants. This is definitely good news for our people at home. In respect of the interministerial and interdepartmental process, making grants for foster care more accessible by increasing the court days or even having more court days for foster care trials, I am sure, is also very good news for our people at home. Yet, the committee would also like to know more and we gladly invite the department to the committee again.]
That is just to talk to us about the plans that you have announced today in terms of the comprehensive social security that the department is busy with at the moment.
Die maandelikse toelaes wat aan ons mede-Suid-Afrikaners betaal word, hou families bymekaar, soos die Minister ges het. Dit sorg dat oumas en oupas kan omsien na hul kleinkinders, sorg dat ons kinders skool toe gaan en stil honger mae van oud en jonk, die gestremdes en die gesondes. Dit gee ons mense waardigheid om die lewe weer in die o te kyk. Tog wil ek die Minister vra, alhoewel die ouderdom van die kindertoelae na 18 verhoog is, of sy nie die Minister van Finansies kan nader om volgende jaar 'n stewige verhoging vir die "child support grant" te gee nie.
Voorsitter, as dit by welsynsdienste kom, wil ek vir u en die Huis s dat die lot van ons ou mense die komitee baie na aan die hart l. Die Amerikaanse Maya Angelou het soos volg oor die oues van dae geskryf - nou, ek het nie so 'n mooi, diep stem soos Maya Angelou nie - ... (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[The monthly grants which are paid to our fellow South Africans keep families together, as the Minister said. It enables grandmothers and grandfathers to take care of their grandchildren; it enables children to attend school and fills the hungry stomachs of old and young, those with disabilities and the healthy. It gives dignity to our people so that they can hold their heads high again. Still, I would like to ask the Minister, although the age of the child support grant has been increased to 18, if she could approach the Minister of Finance about substantially increasing the child support grant in this coming year.
Chair, where social services are concerned, I would like to say to you and the House that the fate of our aged is very dear to this committee. The American Maya Angelou wrote about the aged as follows - now, I don't have such a beautiful, deep voice like Maya Angelou's ...]
... but I will try my best. The poem is Song for the Old Ones:
My Fathers sit on benches their flesh counts every plank the slats leave dents of darkness deep in their withered flanks.
They nod like broken candles all waxed and burnt profound they say "It's understanding that makes the world go round."
There in those pleated faces I see the auction block the chains and slavery's coffles the whip and lash and stock.
My Fathers speak in voices that shred my fact and sound they say "It's our submission that makes the world go round."
Daarom voel ek sterk dat die komitee se besluit dat meer ouetehuise regoor die land gebou moet word, veral in ons agtergeblewe gemeenskappe, en dat hul regte prioriteit moet geniet, 'n baie goeie besluit is.
Van kardinale belang is drukgroepe wat baklei vir hul regte en dit is beslis vir ons 'n fris briesie, en hulle moet ondersteun word. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[Therefore, I feel very strongly that the committee's decision that more old age homes must be built throughout the country, especially in our disadvantaged communities, and that their rights should be prioritised, is a very good decision. Of paramount importance are pressure groups who fight for their rights and to us that is definitely a breath of fresh air, and they should be supported.]
So, I want to say, "Well done!" to the SA Older Persons' Forum. Well done!
The rights of women and children and persons with disability are of paramount importance. How do we ensure that they feel safe and loved? Government cannot compromise on the policies and services that affect these groups. Priority needs to be given to their needs and rights. Disparities in subsidies should be eliminated through the implementation of uniform norms and standards.
When we look at community development, we see that the role of the National Development Agency is to contribute to the eradication of poverty and its causes. This they do through partnerships with NGOs. They have come under tremendous criticism in the past and in the committee for the fact that the organisation is not adequately monitoring beneficiaries of grant funding, and that they are not getting value for money. We will be visiting funded projects unannounced in the future to ensure that grant money is spent appropriately.
Furthermore, we are happy that the new CEO and the new board have committed themselves to a robust engagement process to garner more support to fight poverty through strategic partnerships and innovative grant-funding processes. Increased efforts to build capacity in CBOs and NGOs, etc, so as to improve project management, will greatly enhance the lifespan of these organisations and their projects that our communities so desperately need, as the Minister said earlier.
We need to look at ways to increase the budget of the NDA if we want to have a far greater reach through community development to eradicate poverty.
With reference to welfare infrastructure, I want to say that we need more places of safety for our women and children, more secure care centres in our provinces, more substance abuse treatment centres, more disabled daycare centres and more lively community centres where we can have aftercare services for our children, our youth, women and the disabled.
Last year the committee embarked on a social policy course and I also participated in the Leadership Development Programme, LEAD Programme, sponsored by the United Nations Population Fund, UNFPA. We want to thank the department for facilitating the processes. The UNFPA have kindly offered to bring the LEAD Programme to Parliament and it is currently being processed. The committee has already agreed to participate in the programme. I thank the Minister very much, and also the National Population Unit under the leadership of Mr Jacques van Zuydam, as well as the DG and Mr Wiseman Magasela for all their efforts. I also want to thank the committee members and staff for their hard work and dedication.
Maya Angelou wrote a poem especially for the 50th Anniversary of the United Nations, in which she said:
When we come to it We must confess that we are the possible We are the miraculous, the true wonder of this world That is when, and only when We come to it.
Equality. The ANC supports Vote 19. [Applause.]