Date: 23/04/2010
Source: The Democratic Alliance
Title: DA: Lamoela: Speech by DA Member of Parliament on the Social Development budget vote, National Assembly

Chairperson

The aim of the Department of Social Development and I quote : "is to ensure the provision of comprehensive integrated, sustainable and quality social development services, targeted at vulnerability and poverty, and to create an enabling environment for sustainable development with those committed to building a caring society".

This department however, is still faced with challenges such as :
1. Children trapped in poverty (eg. 2 weeks ago a 3 year old died of hunger while the mother was giving birth to a second child)
2. Fraud and corruption
3. Lack of office space and resources
4. Shortages of much needed social workers (to name only a few.)

However the department of Social Development is trying their utmost best to improve all Welfare Services by developing, piloting and implementing norms and standards for delivering much needed welfare services. Getting people off social grants remain a challenge, and job creation, skills development and education are surely useful tools to help to eradicate poverty.
Chairperson
Our honourable President in his state of the nation address said: I quote - "Creating decent work remained at the Centre of governments economic policies".

If we therefore are indeed serious to create a self-reliant society, we need to break the cycle of dependency and start exploring social entrepreneurship.

Timeframes set for strategies to be implemented must be reached, as to enable the department to make progress and to eradicate poverty to build a caring society.

Chairperson
SASSA will have to set the bar to succeed much higher as to improve the situation in the Department :
1. Fees for consultants, contractors and special services have increased and the department should rather look at in-house training to bring relief to a already strained budget.
2. Though significant gains in the fight to eliminate fraud in the system were made, the DA sincerely hopes that further strategies to avoid fraudulent and corrupt activities are in place. SASSA needs to be reminded that the more corrupt activities they encounter, the greater the chance to eventually grow accustomed to these irregularities.
3. Retention of staff remains a great concern. In total 571 employees resigned in 08/09, bringing the vacancy rate to 57,9%. This situation surely has serious implications for service delivery and one wonders what the real reason for this high turnover of staff within SASSA is. Geweldige tekorte aan menslike hulpbronne kan die uitbranding van gewillige, reeds belaaide personeel veroorsaak.
4. The moratorium on filling of critical posts also contributes to 
 SASSA not performing at top level.
5. The Asset Register for SASSA needs to be completed as this department is now up and running for the 4th year. Deficiencies found in assets register were the following :
a. Existence of various assets could not be verified
b. Asset register was not updated when assets were moved from one location to another
c. Assets were described incorrectly and in certain instances barcode numbers were duplicated (to name only a few)
6. Performance bonuses must be based on excelling in duties, and achievements reached, rather than on non-performance.
7. A valid performance system is of pivotal importance and must be put in place.

The right person needs to be appointed in the right job. We need to get the correct mix of competencies to serve the citizens of our country. This step will ensure that accountability and competence plays a pivotal role in our departments.

Chairperson
The Independent Tribunal for Social Assistance Appeals, are still experiencing severe backlogs, and in some cases applicants have to wait for up to 2 years before outcomes are processed.

Quite soon we will also have a dilemma surrounding extension of orders for Foster-Care grants as this need to be updated every 2 years to allow SASSA to pay beneficiaries effectively. Is the department of Justice and Social Development aware of the very important role they now play in reviewed extensions of Foster Care Grants Orders?

Foster Care parents play an important role in keeping foster-care children in their care and can surely not afford cancellations of these foster cares grants.

The DA would like to suggest that we explore the avenue of adoption. Though adoption is always a preferred option we must be mindful of preserving cultural sensitivities and heritage.

Voorsitter,

‘n Groot bron van kommer vir die DA is die 40 mobile kantoor eenhede wat deur SASSA ± 3 jaar gelede aangeskaf was teen ‘n koste van R49 686 665.00 met ‘n addisionele bedrag van R32 833 630.00 vir onderhoud en "branding" van hierdie eenhede.

Hierdie mobile eenhede sou die plattelandse gebiede bedien om sodoende dienste aan afgeleë gebiede te bring. Double Ring Trading 222 (Pty) Ltd het hierdie voertuie aan die Departement voorsien.

Chairperson
And I quote from the Annual Report.
"However, during the year under review it seems as if there was no compliance to the SLA (Service Level Agreement), which might have resulted in fruitless and wasteful expenditure and the Auditor General also found that some of the sub-assets in the mobile units were missing".

Recently we discovered that only 10 of these mobile office units were operating and the other 30 were parked in offices of SASSA around the country. Budgetary constraints are the main reason for this.

The question now is:
1. Was a proper impact study done on the real needs of these mobile units?
2. Was costs implications on this project thoroughly considered - especially the use of satellites rather than 3G's - bearing in mind that most of these mobiles were to operate in rural and remote rural areas?
3. Was anybody benefiting from the tender
4. Did the department do any follow-up on the sub-assets that were missing from these mobiles?

Surely SASSA needs to explain to us, when all these office mobiles will be up and running? Realizing that this is capital tied up, which could be of great use to an already strained budget?

NDA (National Development Agency)
Voorsitter tydens my besoeke aan van die NDA projekte was dit skokkend om te vind dat een van hierdie projekte in Witzenberg, ‘n plaas, Tweefontein, reeds a geruime tyd al verkoop is. Twee ander projekte was ± 2 jaar gelede gevra om bank rekeninge te open sodat hul fondse inbetaal kon word. Tot vandag was geen fondse nog inbetaal. Tydens ons komitee vergadering is hierdie feite aan NDA oorgedra en verbasend, hulle was geensins hiervan bewus nie. Vandag, ‘n maand later is die DA nog steeds nie voorsien van die opgedateerde lys van nuwe projekte asook enige terugvoering in hierdie verband, soos belowe nie.

Chairperson

This situation of not monitoring and evaluating makes me realize that we still have not succeeded in mastering the art of successfully monitoring and evaluating, which is of pivotal importance to departments to reach their goals.

Ten Slotte Voorsitter, wil ek graag Mnr Waldi Terblance, Mev Burlingham, Mnr Pheiffer, Mnr Slyter en hul spanne hartlik bedank vir hul besondere bydrae om die lewe van soveel afhanklikes van toelaes in beide die Wes-Kaap en Oos-Kaap te verbeter.

Baie dankie vir al die Saterdae wat julle in verafgeleë gebeide saam met die Departemente van Justisie, Binnelandse Sake en SAPS gewerk het om die lot van minderbevoorregtes te verbeter.