Modern, Growing, Successful Province

Department of Social Development Budget Speech

The Member of Executive Council for Social Development Mr. Alvin Botes presented the budget speech of the Department of Social Development today 05 April 2011 at the Northern Cape Provincial Legislature.

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Speaker of the Provincial Legislature, Honourable Van Wyk,
Deputy Speaker of the Provincial Legislature, Honourable Beukes,
Premier of the Northern Cape, Ms. Jenkins,
ANC Provincial Chairperson, Comrade Block,
The Portfolio Committee Chairperson, Honourable Beukes,
Members of the Provincial Legislature,
Traditional Leaders
Acting Regional Executive of South African Social Security Agency, SASSA, Mr Links
Regional Manager of National Development Agency, NDA, Mr Moses
Officials of the Department of Social Development,
People of the Northern Cape Province,
Older People of the Northern Cape Province,
Veterans of the Liberation Struggle,
Women of the Northern Cape Province,
The Youth of the Northern Cape Province,
Our children of our Province,
I greet you all.

Honourable Speaker,
Today we remember our own. We reflect on those who paid the ultimate sacrifice in the struggle against apartheid, martyrs such as Solomon Mahlangu.
Tomorrow the 6th April 2011, marks exactly 32 years since the execution of comrade Solomon Mahlangu in 1979. Has the 23 year old Solomon Manhlangu not been killed by the apartheid state, he would have been 55 years old today.
We salute this soldier of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the People’s Army, a hero of our struggle and our people, who sacrificed his life for all of us to enjoy the freedoms we have now.
Our continued inspiration we find in the words of Solomon Mahlangu where he said, his only wish is for his blood to nourish the tree that will bear the fruits of freedom. We are of the firm view and belief that his words are more relevant to our struggles today than ever before. We therefore find further inspiration from the work of the Martiniquan-born Algerian revolutionary, Franz Fanon who said: "Each generation defines its mission which it must either fulfil or betray." The previous generations of youth defined their mission as the struggle to end white minority rule. The mission of this generation, as with previous generations, derives from the primary contradiction which our society seeks to resolve. The present generation will therefore fulfil or betray its mission in the struggle to transform South Africa into a truly democratic, non-racial, non-sexist, united and prosperous society.
Unlike those who deserted the roll- call of Oliver Tambo, we, as members of the ANC, together with our people in the Northern Cape, will complete our mission of realising Economic Freedom in our Lifetime.

We remember our forebears, leaders of the democratic movement from the golden generation, such as Ulysis Modise, Mittah Seperepere, Marcus Mbethe; leaders from the silver generation, such as Brian Hermanus, Lesego Manyetsa and James Letswalo; combatant’s of our People’s Army, such as Khotso Flatela and Lahlu Mabilo.
To them and the many more, I dedicate this budget to.
Honourable Speaker,
The recent floods have dramatically altered forever the way our people view its government. Our government responded with accelerated speed, providing immediate relief to our people. We have always reiterated that this ANC government is the only government which could Build a Caring Society Together with its People.
Many political parties, who now ask our people to vote for them, did not want their shoes to be dirtied by the mud which engulfed our people. When our children which was affected by floods lost their school uniform, these parties which today wants our people’s vote, was nowhere to be seen. It was only the children of Nelson Mandela, and his organisation, the ANC which was there for our people during the floods.
And yet, there are those amongst us who blame the poor for the conditions they find themselves in. They convincingly forget that poverty is systemic. “Give them a rod to fish,” they say.
Honourable Speaker,
Allow me, to relate a story of opportunities for fundamental change. During our January month visit to Calvinia we came across two young boys – Wiaan Tieties age 28, and Donovan Galant, age 14; both of them residing in Gousblomstreet, Calvinia. Both of these boys are disabled with Wiaan being a paraplegic and Donovan being blind. Despite their disabilities both these boys rose above their circumstances. Wiaan, on the one hand graduated to grade 8 whilst continued to study at a special school, where he received a basic qualification in woodwork and art. Donovan on the other hand mastered the art of music. He is currently part of the G-Unit music group in Calvinia.
Honourable Speaker,
These two young men have a symbiotic relationship,that is friendship which is of mutual benefit to both. Donovan who is blind, daily pushes the wheelchair of Wiaan, who is paraplegic, while Wiaan provides Donovan with sight.
These two boys are here in this House today to witness the budget speech. I am proud to announce that the Department of Social Development, intends making their dreams come true. During luncheon, we will be handing over a guitar to Donovan with which he will be able to display his talent to all of us, and we’ll be enrolling him at a Special school for the blind, where we will be able to upgrade his educational qualifications and learn Braille.
We will be enrolling Wiaan, who is wheel-chair bound at the Steinkopf Protective workshop, where his existing skills levels will be enhanced, and also facilitate a process of him to become eligible as a preferred service provider partner to our government.
I wish to ask, Honourable Speaker, with your permission to request this house to acknowledge these two boys.
We reiterate Honourable Speaker, that this ANC government is firmly built on a foundation of profound care and love for its people.
Honourable Speaker,
We are committed as a People-Centred and People-Driven government to achieve the “demographic dividend” – a society of community where all people live peacefully, happy, self – reliant and with the ability to sustain themselves.
This is in line with the call from President Zuma, to ensure that we realise self-sustainable people.
Honourable Speaker,
The percentage of households with no income was reduced to 8 percent, from 17 percent in 2001. As we have promised to our people, until all households and families have an income, we will not relent on our current accelerated trajectory.
As we were taught: “Backwards never, forward ever!” (the source: school of revolution).

As part of our initiatives to protecting the poor, we have created income generating sustainable livelihood initiatives. To date, a number of 218 women, 98 people with disabilities and 22 young people are able to earn a living by being active at the socio-economic projects, food gardens, drop-in centres, soup kitchens and crop production as well as other initiatives.

Honourable Speaker,
The Extended Public Works Programme remains a key instrument to create work opportunities. A 2007 labour force survey found that 18% of the province’s economically active population participated in the government’s job creation programme, compared to 0, 7% nationally.

The Department of Social Development participated in the early childhood development sector, and the home-community based care sector. In the early childhood development field a total number of 1468 people is employed; amongst them 867 women, 10 people with disabilities and 591 young people contribute to the economic growth of the province.

In the home-community based care sector, a total number of 1199 caregivers is employed; amongst them 5 people living with disabilities and 376 young people provide psychosocial support to orphans and vulnerable children. Our contribution as the Department towards the 5875 EPWP social sector work opportunities created in the Province, accounts for 2667 (45%).

Honourable Speaker,
Our fourth intervention, lies in the non-profit organisation sector where people are being employed within an organisation to render services on behalf of the Department. In this regard, 58 organisations receive post funding, ranging from the employment of social workers to community development workers to the total of 174 people.

Honourable Speaker,
Soft services being contracted out to in particular youth and women groups’ accounts for 168 work opportunities.

Through the Supply Chain processes within the Department for the period April – December 2010, the percentage of HDI’s who provided a service stands at 69,34%, whilst the non HDI’s stands at 30,66%. I am committed to ensure that we further deepen the transformation agenda on this terrain, and will ensure that at least 50 percent of all services rendered must amongst other things benefit our women and youth.


Honourable Speaker,
We now be focusing on four key deliverables for the 2011/2012 financial year:

ON PRIORITY NUMBER ONE: PROTECTING THE POOR
As an international and national margin set for reducing poverty, we consistently look to the Millennium Development Goal set to be achieved in 2015, that is to halve the number of people living on less than a dollar a day (R7-00) and those who suffer from hunger, devising strategies in wisdom to uplift, to conquer and to sustain.

Honourable Speaker,
We will ensure that each municipal area has at least two soup kitchens, and the more rural and impoverished communities should be able to access the services of at least three soup kitchens. Our promise to our people is once again to fund 79 soup kitchens. As promised, we are giving more money to our soup kitchens which are based in the rural areas, R87 361, than those in the bigger towns, R67 364. An amount of R6,509m is set aside for soup kitchens.

Furthermore, as part of upscaling our social protection programmes, a number of twenty eight drop-in centres received strengthening funding in the 2010/11 financial year.
We remain committed to ensure that we have in every municipal area a Drop-in-Centre.

Honourable Speaker,
We have launched together with former National Minister of Social Development Mme Edna Molewa and the Premier of the Province the Balelapa- MY FAMILY Household Profiling Project in conjunction with partner Sector education and Training Authorities, or SETAs. The partner SETAs are the Services SETA, Health and Welfare SETA, ETDP SETA and MERSETA.
Dear fellow members of Legislature,
Balelapa is not a unique instrument in the fight against poverty; it is in fact an extension of the War on Poverty.
I am happy to announce that with the intensification of the War on Poverty program we thus far have been able to profile 35 percent of the 287 000 households in our province.
The key purpose of the War on Poverty and Balelapa Programs is to provide a basket of integrated government services to poor families, which includes amongst others, access to Primary Health Care Facilities, Emergency health referrals, vital registrations and access to Free Basic Services as rendered by local municipality.
Honourable Speaker,
Food gardens is an intervention for inculcating the values of own food production at community and household level, with the aim of cushioning households against spiralling food and energy prices, whilst addressing food insecurity which is all about social protection, and where a surplus is available selling vegetables for an income which in practical terms is called social engineering.

Three new food gardens will be established, in the most impoverished districts in our our province, in the Pixley ka Seme and John Taolo Gaetsewe Districts. In addition, a number of 60 household food gardens linked to the War on Poverty Programme will be rolled out in Namaqua and Siyanda districts.

We envisage in the new financial year to fund 3 social cooperatives, and one new crop production project, the latter being in the Frances Baardt district.

These initiatives will be funded to the tune of R 21, 712 million.

Honourable Speaker,
Social security interventions will continue to be up-scaled in the Northern Cape. This is so because of the correct decision of the African National Congress to extend the Child Support Grant to 18 years of age, and because of the population paradigm, which indicates that our province is experiencing an increasingly ageing population.

The demographic indicators used when we report on the Millennium Development Goals for lifting people out of poverty shows an increase in the number of children receiving grants from 101,728 in 2005 to 245,486 in 2010 out of an estimated number of 327 541 children in the Northern Cape Province (75 %).
The number of foster care grants increased from 8,835 in 2007 to 10,238 in 2010 (3%). The care dependency grant increased from 2,852 in 2007 to 3,883 in 2010 (1.18%). Whilst the child support grant now covers all eligible children born after 31 December 1993; until the child reaches the age of 18 years.

When looking at the Provincial population benefiting from social assistance, the Old Age Grant represents 17%, Disability Grant represents 13% and the Child Support Grant represents 64% of the total. In monetary terms the amounts spent on the Old Age Grant for the previous financial year amounts to R 899,372,160 which will increase to R 947,475,778 in the current financial year. Similarly, the current expenditure on the Child Support Grant of R 705,432,000 in the previous financial year will increase to R 864,381,030 representing 64% of the provincial social assistance disbursements.

As from April 2011, pensioners over the age of 75 will receive an additional R 20 on top of the old age grant of R1 140.

I am also able to report that in the area of combating fraud in the social assistance programme, we have made good progress in ensuring that only deserving citizens benefit. For the period 2009/2010 a total of 531 acknowledgements of debt were signed to the amount of R 2, 621, 658m. If this ANC government did not detect those fraudulent practices if would have costed us
R11, 486, 700m. During the same period, 292 beneficiaries were prosecuted in court for fraudulent practices.

Honourable Speaker,
Child grants are but one way of addressing child poverty by embracing the survival needs of children. Addressing child poverty holistically requires interventions that achieve results of survival, protection, development and participation.
One of the interventions in the social sector field that address child poverty holistically is early childhood development. The demographic indicator for education shows that a young Northern Cape child has a 43, 6% chance of receiving early childhood development stimulation, which is the 3rd highest in country.

To date, 430 early childhood development centres were registered and funded catering for 20, 305 children throughout the province. This amounts to 117 200 of children within the age cohort of 0-4 years are in the Province, of which 20 305 are in receipt of the service. The total budget allocation to professionalize this service amounts to R 53.4 million

Honourable Speaker,
For this financial year, a number of 10 new partial care facilities will be registered, bringing to thirty the number of provisionally operational partial care facilities which will be supported and upgraded to comply with full registration.
For the 2011/2012 financial year, the subsidy per child based on attendance for partial care facilities will be R 12 – 00.

We will further train an additional 100 community based practitioners at NQF level 4, realising accredited educators at early childhood development centres.

Honourable Speaker,
Two of the most frequent ways of measuring poverty is to use a poverty line, which is the average sum of money that a household or individual needs to survive; and the poverty gap, which indicates how far a household or individual falls below the poverty line.

The proportion of Northern Cape people living below the poverty line has declined from 40 percent in 1995 to 27 percent now; while the poverty gap was 11 percent in 1995, compared to 8 percent now.
(Source: Statistics SA, 2010, Social Profile of South Africa, 2002-2009)

Honourable Speaker,
In this regard if we intend halving poverty by 2015, the population living below the poverty line must stand at 20%, which means that we are left as a province between now and 2015 to reduce poverty by 7%.

POLICY PRIORITY NUMBER TWO: YOUTH DEVELOPMENT

Honourable Speaker,
To advance and champion the interests of young people forms part of the broader plan of halving poverty by 2015. In developing the youth, we are consolidating people’s power for building a developmental state, but at the same time enabling young people to be responsible and accountable to build a better life for all.
Last year, this House has been informed on the various training and skills development initiatives embarked upon with young people, with the promise of sharing the success stories of young people and how the training has brought about change in the lives of young people. An allocated amount of R 8, 748 million for youth development of which R 4,065 million is ring-fenced for civil society initiatives around youth development.

Honourable Speaker,
I must be the first to confess that the absence of a legitimate youth body in the province has severely and negatively impacted on our ability to advance with speed on the youth development terrain. It is for this reason that I welcome the appointment of the new board of the Northern Cape Chapter of the National Youth Development Agency, under the leadership of Mr. Shadrack Thlaole. We will work with him and his board to swiftly respond to the grievances of the youth.
This House will remember, that as part of expanding our youth development programme, we undertook a policy decision to professionalise the community work done by young people as Community Development Practitioners, by affording them the opportunity to study the BA Community Development Degree fully underwritten by UNISA. Our young people is on course and 23 of them has adhered to the curriculum demands.

Honourable Speaker,
Social work is the bedrock of our ability to dispense with a quality service delivery to our people. Due to the absence of this type of skill, we have since 2007 put 304 youth from our province on a scholarship programme to study Social Work, with a 73 percent success rate in terms of those who completed and are on course to advance to their degrees.

Honourable Speaker,
We have set aside an amount of over R1.665 million aside to be spent on youth empowerment and skills development initiatives.

Youth development will be further entrenched through the rolling-out of five new youth service centres in Petrusville, Pampierstad, Louisvale, and Warrenton and Bendell increasing the number of youth service centres to 25.

As part of the co-operative relationship between the department of Social Development and National Development Agency, an amount of R 800 000.00 is earmarked to improve and expand the basket of services at the Tsantsabane and Kgatelopele Youth Service Centres.

The funded youth service centres will expand their services to ensure the intensification of programmes such as entrepreneurial workshops, life skills, study groups and recreational programmes.

For this Department, investment in our young people is crucial. In keeping with our commitment for our vulnerable youth and ensuring sustainable interventions, we have succeeded in facilitating a placement for one of the matriculants from Thusong Children’s Home, whose ambition was study towards a B Com degree with a tertiary institution. The Office of the Auditor General, who have offered a five year contract of employment to this young man, and we are grateful to the Office of the Auditor General for enabling Shane Tokelo to pursue his dream and study while employed in the correct job.

Honourable Speaker,
Our total allocation to work with our youth development is R11,213m.

POLICY PRIORITY NUMBER THREE: CRIME PREVENTION
Honourable Speaker,
One of the indicators of lifting people out of poverty is to devise innovative interventions to protect ordinary people to enable them to be and feel safe in the communities where they live.
During the 2010/2011 financial year, the Department of Social Development promised to equip young people with knowledge and life skills by entering into a partnership with Khulisa Crime Prevention Initiative to roll-out the Make It Better programme in Williston and Fraserburg. A number of 26 young people have been identified and trained to be part of this initiative, whilst rendering crime prevention services, life skills and school holiday programmes in the respective communities to ensure that children and youth are educated in keeping our societies a crime free and safe place to live in.
Honourable Speaker,
Our public-private- partnership is well on track and all systems are finalized for the De Aar Secure Care Centre which is a blue print for improved services for children at risk and those in conflict with the law. It will be launch in April-month this year.
Honourable Speaker,
To know if we are doing the right thing, to the right people, at the right time, we will be engaged in an annual crime victim survey implemented by all cluster departments. In this instance, the Department of Social Development, in partnership with the Department of Transport, Safety and Liaison, plan to develop crime victim survey to measure the impact and success of crime prevention services and service rendered to victims of crime.
For the year under review, we have tackled violence against women and children, human trafficking, and gender based violence. Interventions included the completion of the pilot of the Victim Court Model in various courts, and the rendering of community based victim empowerment services. A total amount to the tune of R 81.769 million will enable us to perform our crime prevention initiatives.


ON PRIORITY NUMBER FOUR: BUILDING COHESIVE, CARING AND SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES

Honourable Speaker,
The year under review, saw intensive prevention programmes on anti-substance abuse, targeting youth, adults and children.

We have in the past financial year placed a great emphasis on preventing Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders, known in the past as FAS of which the difference lies in the former being a range of preventable disorders, whilst the latter becomes a disability. This will be done by empowering child bearing women and communities at large in De Aar and Upington through education and awareness.
We have done so, because Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder is the only preventable mental disorder, caused by the conscious and negligent usage of abnormal or binge drinking by pregnant women.

The Department of Social Development in partnership with the Foundation for Alcohol Related Research provided groundbreaking Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders prevention services and treatment services to pregnant women with substance abuse problems and services to children and families affected by FASD.

Resulting from these initiatives, our partnership has resulted in a significant decrease of 30 % in the prevalence of Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders in De Aar.
We will present this achievement in the fight against alcohol and substance abuse to our people shortly.

The new financial year will see a similar fact-finding mission to take place in Upington, in order for us to fully comprehend our efforts in these two areas, which had the highest prevalence rate in the country.

To show our commitment is positively turning the tide for sufferers of the Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders, whilst empowering childbearing women, three phased prevalence study will be commissioned for Galeshewe and Roodepan in order to inform planning of foetal alcohol syndrome prevention services and interventions.

A third intervention, we would like to speed up, is that of expanding our treatment services with the aim of improving the quality of life of our people and bring about fundamental change in the lives of communities, in this regard, we will be entering into a public-private-partnership with a registered treatment centre, to provide a basket of treatment services in our province.

Honourable Speaker,
We will continue to aggressively target our young people at schools, through the Ke-Moja programme- No thanks I’m Fine”, without drugs. We have 166 secondary schools in the Northern Cape Province, hosting 115 298 learners between the ages of 13-15 years of which 49 404 young people would be the target for the Ke- Moja campaign.The anti –substance abuse campaign will be funded to the rand value of
R 7,427 million.

Honourable Speaker,
It comes as no secret that the Department of Social Development is dedicated in improving the quality of life for older persons.

Through social cohesion programmes, such as our renowned Golden Games activities, we are able to honour the wisdom of our communities of elders, create an environment of sharing of culture, value, embodiment of heritage through inter – generational programmes, whilst at the same time promoting the safety and rights of older persons through a range of special protection measures.

We have launched the new Older Persons Act throughout the province, and popularised it with our elders. For the 2011/12 financial year, this programme will be funded to the rand value of R 17, 609 million.

Honourable Speaker,
It is an honour and a pleasure to inform this House that the Department of Social Development officially launched the unfolding of comprehensive programmes for the Veterans of the Liberation Struggle. This House is aware that since the veterans organised themselves after the April 1994 democratic elections, we as a Province made a commitment to honour the people who have led the liberation struggle for us. This House would agree that it would only be proper and courteous to enable the veterans through our programmes to guide and take the leadership on the current liberation struggle. This comprehensive programme includes the allocation of an office with a development worker to assist in the operational issues of the veterans, acquisition of a vehicle and provision of identifiable attire.

Just for this special group of elders, we have further allocated an amount of R327, 000 for this financial year, to ensure sustenance of their programmes.

Honourable Speaker,
In solidifying our efforts to improve the quality of life, we have hosted a successful Care Giver Indaba for Caregivers, which focused on their well-being and addressing common challenges to enable them to reduce the psychosocial impact of HIV and AIDS.
We will further implement 220 awareness campaigns and 20 youth camps, which aim to facilitate social behaviour change. In addition, caregivers will identify orphans and vulnerable children through a surveillance system and provide psychosocial support to 17 450 orphans in the Province to the amount of R 36, 320 million.

The new financial year will see us undertake a research project, entitled “The status of people living with disabilities in the Northern Cape provincial administration”. The project will seek to examine the progress or lack thereof of all people living with disabilities in government, and will be undertaken in partnership with the Office of the Premier.

Honourable Speaker,
It is through partnerships that we as the Department of Social Development is able to account on how we give effect to the ANC‘s election manifesto “Working together We can Do More”.
In accordance with the Non-Profit Organisations Act, purchasing of services by the Department of Social Development from Non-Profit Organisations is done when Non-Profit Organisations have a proven track record of compliance, credibility and accountability.

We will be working harder and better with more than 700 Non-profit organisations, for the new financial year, up from the 609 NPO’s, which served as our social partners in the past financial year.

Honourable Speaker,
We will increase the subsidy for Social Workers and Social Auxiliary Workers in the Non Profit Organization sector to 15 percent, for actual posting and running costs; and 5 percent for Development Workers; further to this Community Caregivers’ stipend will be increase to R1 320.00 per month.

Honourable Speaker,
Just within our sustainable livelihoods initiatives, we employ 338 people; amongst them 98 people living with disabilities; 218 women and 22 young people.

Honourable Speaker,
The Northern Cape department of Social Development will create 3347 job opportunities for the 2011/12 financial year.

Honourable Speaker,

The total budget allocation for the 2011/2012 financial year is R 520, 271 million of which 20.84 % (R108, 416 million) is allocated to Administration, representing a decrease of R 5, 378 million of the allocated budget, whilst 64,79% (R337,108 million) is allocated to Social Welfare Services representing a growth of R 45, 522 million and 14,37 % (R74,747 million) is allocated to Development and Research, representing a further growth of R 15,915 million than the previous financial year.

We have significantly changed our budget to have less money available for too many administrative officials, and more money for our core tasks of rendering Social Welfare and Development services.

Honourable Speaker,
My concluding political quote I found from Jeffrey Sachs, who in his book “The End of Poverty”, argues: "That the key to ending extreme poverty is to enable the poorest of the poor to get their foot on the ladder of development”.
Honourable Speaker,
We are convinced that we are doing just that.

Honourable Speaker,

IN CONCLUSION

I wish to acknowledge the work done by all our officials in the department, in particularly the new Head of Department and his senior management team;
The many Balelapa volunteer workers;
The Non-profit organisations;
The partner SETA’s,
The Portfolio Committee chairperson and its members;
Our social sector partners, NDA and SASSA
The ministerial support team;
My colleagues in the Executive Council and the Premier
The army of women active in my daily life, led by the leadership of the ANC Women’s League;
The wise counsel of my future, the ANC Veteran’s League;
The organisation of my youth, the ANC Youth League;
The organisation of the people, the African National Congress;
The organisation of my family, my wife;
And the love of my life, my God.

Solomon, your blood is nourishing the tree that bears the fruits of freedom.
Your people love you. And they are continuing the fight.
The war on poverty is a fight Solomon, we intend to win.

Thank you.

Source: Department of Social Development; Communications

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