Thank you, Chairperson, and thanks to the hon member. Of course it would be ideal if we could have a single loan and bursary scheme in the country, wherein everything that is a bursary could be centrally administered. We are not yet there now. This is because, for example, a premier's office might want to offer bursaries in line with what that premier regards as priorities in that provincial government or in the province as a whole.
The challenge we have, which we have begun to grapple with, is to try and create a framework for national bursaries and loans without necessarily having a single centre. For example, the work that I have asked the department to do now is to harmonise bursaries that we receive from many countries overseas - for example the European Union and United States of America - particularly at a government-to-government level, so that we would be able to say how we use these bursaries to advance our goals.
At the same time, this won't be possible. Many governments, private institutions in other countries and other universities from outside the country directly call for applications and say, for instance, that they have bursaries for 15 South African students and that those students should apply directly to them. So, this is a big challenge, including bursaries that are given by private companies.
We are engaged in this so that we can have a bursary system in the country that will give us a complete picture of what is going on, even if it is not from the same source. We should at least have a complete picture. In this way we will be able to direct resources in a manner that would enable them to have the maximum possible impact. Thank you.
Monitoring by SA Social Security Agency of services of medical practitioners signing for social grants, and toll-free fraud number
32. Mr D D Gamede (ANC) asked the Minister of Social Development:
(1) Whether the SA Social Security Agency monitors the services of medical practitioners who are contracted to sign for social grants, especially in the rural areas like Gingindlovu; if not why not; if so, how;
(2) whether his department will have a toll-free fraud number for this matter; if not, why not; if so, when? CO235E