Date: 16/04/2010
Source: The Democratic Alliance
Title: DA: Robinson: Speech by DA Member of Parliament on Women, Children and Persons with Disabilities budget vote, National Assembly

Honourable Chairperson, Honourable Minister and Members,

The creation of the Ministry for Women, Children and Persons with Disabilities in 2009 was meant to signal a decisive change to the status and level of significance of matters affecting Women, Children and Persons with Disabilities in comparison with that of the old Joint Monitoring Committee's ineffectual or even "quite dysfunctional "performance " to quote Professor Amanda Gouws. This, despite the fact that it was located in the Presidency, supposedly the power house of action.

Now, despite increased ministerial status with all the trappings of bureaucracy, the expected change has not materialised. Women and disabled people continue to take a back seat, in this case with regard to funding of the Ministry.

Has the lacklustre performance of the Ministry been recognised by the Presidency? Is this why its budgetary wings have been clipped or is it simply that the vulnerable groups are in reality not considered important enough to warrant real financial muscle?

Alternatively, was the Ministry's creation simply not well considered, planned or costed initially? Perhaps the latter.

The President has some answering to do to those whose expectations he raised, here in Parliament and also out in our Constituencies.

Far less money was been received by the Department than was requested, especially in the area of administration and inter-sectoral communication.

One can argue about the merits of taking funds away from one place and adding them to another, but, especially in these troubled times, taxpayers of this country can simply not afford to supply the resources for yet another Ministry that seeks to duplicate the work that can be achieved through ministries that already exist.

In this case, if the delusion was that Minister Mayende Sibiya was to lead a Ministry that would render actual services, we ask which services were contemplated that could not be delivered equally well, if not better, through the Ministry presiding over the Department of Social Development?

If, on the other hand, the intention was that Minister Mayende Sibiya would head a function that would monitor and evaluate the performance of other departments in respect of the rights of women, children and the disabled, we ask if Minister Collins Chabane would not take offence?

Unfortunately, it must be said, this Ministry is like an old dog, without any teeth. Even if it does want to take a bite, it doesn't seem to know what to tackle.

Sadly this is a public letdown, for it means that actual service delivery that could benefit our women, our children and those otherwise-abled amongst us, will not significantly be enhanced by this Ministry.

The truth is that Luthuli House has once again chosen to ignore, that one cannot achieve the empowerment of women, of children and of the disabled with window-dressing.

It can only be achieved through real effort and commitment to the values of gender equality and equity. It can only be achieved if every Ministry leads its departments in delivering services in such a way that they will remove the obstacles to opportunity for women, children and disabled persons.

This type of empowerment will only become a reality if every Ministry becomes a de facto Ministry of women and children and the disabled too; Only if this government truly becomes a government for all the people, instead of a government for the cadres and those who support them.

This is not just empty rhetoric, Chairperson. The proof has already been presented publicly. Why is it that the wider public have not been involved or invited to any of the Minister's imbizos or investigations on ukuthwala or muti murders?

Only the ANC inner circle have been invited, not even the Portfolio Committee has been informed, invited or involved.

No wonder there have been rumblings of discontent from amongst the ruling party and the ANC women's league. This sense of crony-entitlement or exclusivity is the root and the logical conclusion of policy and resources directed at groups, the collective, rather than directing it at solving problems that stand in the way of equal opportunities for all.

The failure of the ailing, dysfunctional Commission for Gender Equality, an important Chapter 9 institution which is meant to uphold gender equality and equity, is indicative of a failure of our parliament.

Those who should have been holding it to account, the Presidency, the Ministry of Justice and more recently, the new Ministry, have been silent. Where are the protesting voices when women's issues are ignored, but patriarchal, traditional attitudes are applauded, when women are seen only as objects of sexual gratification, and the myth of sex with virgins to cure HIV/ Aids is perpetuated?


Where is the outcry when women are subject to corrective rape? The fact that 31 lesbian women have been murdered in homophobic attacks since 1998 and only 2 perpetrators have gone to trial, with only one being convicted, is outrageous. The law must be amended - corrective rape must be deemed a hate crime so that convictions can take place! The CGE must focus on advancing gender equality in all spheres and not on financial and administrative squabbles. The commission needs a change of leadership, perhaps even a change in the Act!

A new resolve needs to be shown; our Constitution, the guarantor of human rights, of women's rights, of the rights of persons with disabilities must be protected at all times. The transfer of the CGE to the new ministry has taken a sizeable portion of its budget, R51, 9 million. The programmes for Disabled Persons received only R7.1 million. This group of 1.9 million citizens is one of the most marginalised in South Africa. Trying to level the playing fields will be a major challenge and needs special attention.

To give disabled persons, especially young people who are deaf, an equal chance in life, urgent attention needs to be given to providing good tertiary education facilities for them and ensuring that they are provided with sign language interpreters. Without this assistance, most of them will be doomed to walk the streets, unemployed, as they drop out because of the inability to hear, learn and integrate.

They are doubly disadvantaged by their isolation - the major challenge will be to give them equal opportunities to make their own way in life. It is important that disability is mainstreamed as one needs to change the perceptions, attitudes and lives of people living with disabilities and of those who are not disabled. This would also dismantle the structures that disenable vulnerable groups from being regarded as equals in society. Many changes need to be made in South Africa regarding equal opportunities for previously disadvantaged groups

The mandate of each of these vulnerable groups is vast and needs attention. The budget only allows for a total of 22 percent spent on the actual alleviation of the grievances of the vulnerable group. The rest goes on salaries and infrastructure - not a healthy state of affairs but something that needs to be closely monitored.

It is interesting to note that the Ministry for Women, Children and Persons with Disabilities, received the smallest budget of all while the Youth received more funding than all the others. Does it show some kind of preference or a special relationship with the Youth? One can only speculate as to why the choice was made to remove the NYDA from this ministry and return it to the presidency.

Was this perhaps because of a deal that was struck? It has become clear that the identity, mandate and role of the ministry are not clearly defined. To function properly, this needs to be corrected. A strong administration is needed with experts on gender, women and children and disability needs in place, otherwise this Ministry will continue to flounder.

In conclusion, gender mainstreaming should take place within South African society as this would change our society radically. As explained by Rai, gender mainstreaming "is the process of assessing the implications for women and men or people with disabilities, of any planned action, legislation and policies in all areas and at all levels of an organisation.

It is a strategy of making women and men's concerns and experiences an integral part of the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of policies and programmes to achieve gender equality"

Chairperson, this ministry has enormous challenges ahead of it. However, it has a strong portfolio committee which can assist. We trust that we will be able to give the necessary guidance and oversight to ensure that the plight of Women, Children and Persons with Disabilities is alleviated.