Chairperson, members of the portfolio committee and distinguished guests, last year Cope wished you well as you were about to steer the Department of Social Development, and we wished you success in the areas of the department's work that seek to care for the poor and vulnerable. Again this year, on the occasion of the Budget Vote, we in Cope reiterate our desire to see you succeed in delivering services to the masses of our people.
The President of the Republic promised in his state of the nation address to make sure that none of our people go to bed on an empty stomach, or die from hunger. Cope urges the department, under your leadership, Minister, to keep in line with this promise and make it a reality. This must be taken cognisance of, because most of our people and children live in the conditions alluded to by the President.
Cope takes note of the fact that one of the biggest burdens that apartheid left us is the syndrome of dependency. This has disabled our people from being independent, even though their government must meet their needs and provide for them. Unfortunately, this virus must be dealt with systematically, in order to provide these services to people who are in need, rather than providing them as rewards based on the consequences of apartheid.
The Department of Social Development has, among other things, identified a shortage of qualified, competent and dedicated professionals. This has largely contributed to the lack of quality services that the department should deliver to the people. It can no longer be that our regional and district offices continue to allude to the lack of equipment in their offices as a reasonable excuse for the department's inability to render services to the people. Cope calls for the immediate evaluation of whether this has anything to do with capacity and/or the lack thereof.
We must also mention that in some offices, in areas like Flagstaff, Tabankulu and Bizana, one finds application forms that have not been captured and are lying around. This is something that may be described as negligence and carelessness on the part of the department. This is worrying, as one is made to wait for a long time for the processing of application forms, while the lives of the people who are patiently waiting for these services remain unchanged.
Interdepartmental collaboration remains a problem. This relationship has to be strengthened, especially with the Departments of Home Affairs, Health, Justice and Constitutional Development, and the police. The issue of border- crossing is a problem, where people who are not South African citizens come into our country and access and benefit from the grants in this country. [Interjections.]
Cope appreciates the programmes and the monitoring of their progress by the department. However, this monitoring, Minister, must improve the quality of social welfare services rendered to older persons in need of care and protection, particularly the vulnerable, as they continue to be victims of the lack of spending and attention to matters that affect them. Through their vulnerability, they remain victims of rape, murder and abuse. We urge the department to consider the establishment of more old-age homes to cater for and accommodate these elders.
Cope takes note of the strides that the department has made in dealing with acts of corruption and fraud, which engulfed the department for a long time. We appreciate most the R180 million that has been saved by the department as part of its strategy to combat corruption. We are pleased that the department has adopted an attitude of no tolerance towards corruption, because we remember that this department has been popularly known as a vulnerable system that was easy to corrupt.
Cope believes the new strategy will go a long way in changing the attitude of the general public towards the department, because it is in the interest of all of us, beyond party lines, to see the services of this department being rendered and all the people of this country being the deserving recipients of these services.
Cope counts on this budget to deal with the current bureaucracy that continues to marginalise needy people. Destitute children of single parents, who are looked after by grandmothers and/or guardians, are a case in point. We wish to call for your intervention to address the issue of how this department should deal with this, because currently people who look after destitute children are sent from pillar to post and, ultimately, they get no assistance.
What this means, hon Minister, is that if a grandmother who looks after a child applies for a grant, she will be told to come back with the father of that particular child. This is in spite of the fact that the child's mother is deceased. There must be something that can be done to assist these grandmothers, as you have seen in Cutting Edge. [Interjections.] Surely, Minister, this calls for an urgent change of paradigm.
The department has managed to catch people who have been defrauding it in many ways, but it is not clear whether these people will be bringing back the money that they owe the department; that they have been defrauding it of. We want a lesson that will be learnt by everybody.
Bafunde isifundo esithi: Ndiyibambile inkunzi, mandiyibuyise imali. [Kwaqhwatywa.] [They must learn a lesson that goes: I have committed fraud, so let me bring the money back. [Applause.]]
... especially those who came to the department and said they unintentionally defrauded the department.
Besingazi thina ukuthi asifanelanga thina ukuhhola izibonelelo zikahulumeni. [We were not aware that we were not supposed to receive grants.]
They have to pay back the money - that must be clear too.
There is a high rate of crime in our country, and the prisons are overflowing with young offenders. We appeal to the hon Minister and the department to review the policy of reformatory schools; schools that our children will be taken to instead of them becoming street kids. Those reformatory schools will also assist the street kids. Thank you very much. [Time expired.] [Applause.]