Date: 13/03/2008
Source: Eastern Cape Provincial Government
Title: SA: Kwelita: Eastern Cape Social Development Prov Budget Vote 2008/09

Speech by Sam Kwelita Eastern Cape MEC for Social Development for the Provincial Budget Vote 2008/09

Honourable Madam Speaker
Honourable Premier
Members of the Executive Council
Members of the Legislature
The House of Traditional Leaders
Our partners in Social Development
Distinguished guests
Members of media
Ladies and gentlemen
Comrades and friends

As we stand on the threshold of the last full year of the term of office of this democratically-elected government, we are mindful of the achievements of these last four years and of the challenges that still lie ahead. Notwithstanding recent research that shows poverty has declined from 2001 to 2006 by between 5% and 8%, notwithstanding the increase in jobs created in the Eastern Cape, notwithstanding the obvious growth in the Eastern Cape economy, and notwithstanding the successful extension of the social security safety net and the extension of services to the deepest rural areas, we still have a province that is characterised by unacceptable levels of unemployment, under-development, high levels of HIV and AIDS, poverty and inequality, and high levels of vulnerability amongst women and children in the Eastern Cape.

Madam speaker, in attempting to build a transformed and professional social development cadre, we are building on the work of those who came before us. Today I would like to pay tribute to social work veterans of this province who have contributed immensely to the profession and have passed away.
* Ms Nombulelo Mazwi (Queenstown)
* Mr Eric Nomvete (Duncan Village, originally from Sterkspruit)
* Mr Victor Pahlana (Queenstown and East London)
* Mr Edgar Miya (East London)
* Mr Basil Somhlahlo (Alice)
* Mr Mapetla Mohape (Sterkspruit).

May their souls rest in peace.

Madam speaker, let us also salute the following Eastern Cape social work veterans who have retired or joined other professions, some of whom are seated in the gallery today.

* Winnie Madikizela-Mandela (politics)
* Thenjiwe Mthintso (politics)
* Linda Mantanga (retired)
* Sweetness Sonkqayi (media)
* Mrs N Nhlapo (retired)
* Hariett Khongisa (retired, but still running Gompo Welfare Society)
* Ross Sogoni (lawyer)
* Medicine Mkhetho (Business)
* Minnie Ngwadla (retired)
* Nomini Dekile (retired)
* Nomini Mabeka (retired)
* Nomhise Dambuza (retired)
* Daniswa Makubalo (retired)
* Teysse Peterse (retired)
* Isah Ferreira (retired)
* Thyse Piertse (retired).

Taking our cue from the February State of the Nation Address, we have reprioritised our budget and plans for 2008/09 to intensify service delivery and to deal with the apex priorities outlined by our President. In particular, as I go through this policy speech Honourable members will see that the following apex priorities have a particular resonance for Social Development:

* dealing with child poverty
* promoting social cohesion
* partnerships and communication on fighting crime
* intensifying the campaign on communicable diseases
* self-employment interventions to address the second economy, and
* establishing an anti-poverty mechanism.

In our 2008/09 budget and plans, the department will deliver social welfare services and community development programmes across the length and breadth of the province. If there is a theme running through this policy speech, Madam Speaker, it is that by intensifying the war on child poverty, we will make a significant improvement to the lives of the poor and the vulnerable in the Eastern Cape. Therefore special emphasis has been placed on budget allocations that include:

* Massification of Early Childhood Development (ECD) to reach poor communities in every corner of the province and to address child poverty.
* Increase in the number of front line workers like social workers, social auxiliary workers, probation officers and community development practitioners
* Expansion of Home Community Based Care (HCBCs) dealing with orphans and vulnerable children affected and infected with HIV and AIDS and addressing the issue of child-headed households.
* Increase interventions to address children in conflict with the law.

Investing in human capital

In the 2007/08 financial year, Honourable members, we made a special emphasis on recruiting social work and community development professionals to increase our capacity to provide care, protection and development to the poor and the vulnerable in the Eastern Cape. We successfully recruited 633 profession staff
(this is aside from staff in corporate services):

* 236 social workers
* 42 chief social workers
* 21 senior social workers
* 300 social auxiliary workers
* 24 contract social auxiliary workers for the child protection register
* 51 child care workers
* 48 chief child care workers
* one principal child care worker
* one pupil child care worker
* 11 probation officers
* 13 chief probation officers
* 101 assistant probation officers
* 23 unemployed graduates
* 12 community development supervisors
* 72 community development practitioners.

Madam speaker, I am pleased to say that these newly appointed staff members have been in Bhisho today for training and many of them are also in the gallery with our veterans.

We are continuing in 2008/09 to invest in professional capacity to deliver services. In a joint effort with National Department of Social Development for the creation of institutional capacity, we have provided financial assistance to 467 student Social Workers, targeting mostly disadvantaged areas in the O.R. Tambo, Alfred Nzo, Ukhahlamba, and Cacadu districts. An amount of R13million has been provided in the 2008/09 budget. These students are contracted to work for the department after graduation.

As part of the strategy to retain social work professionals, government is introducing the Occupation Specific Dispensation (OSD). I would like to assure the house that we are ready to implement OSD when the national negotiations with organised labour have been concluded. For the 2008/09 year we have made provision of R29 million for the affected staff so that there will be no delay in implementation of OSD.

Later in the year we will be launching the inaugural Provincial Social Worker Awards which will be a standing annual event, in recognition of the contribution made by the profession to the socio-economic development of the province and its people. We trust that our veteran social workers will join us and pass the torch
of service above self to the new generation.

Childcare and protection

Madam speaker, our children in the country, and in particular our province, are faced with enormous challenges. These range from extreme poverty, physical and sexual abuse, neglect, substance abuse, and loss of parents due to HIV and AIDS (which further adds to the creation of child-headed households). By and large we can attribute these to the disintegration of families and the decay in the moral fibre of our society. In dealing with these social ills, the Department provides and supports a variety of services: foster care, Early Childhood Development (ECD), children's homes, adoption, shelters, Home Community Based Care (HCBC), anti-substance abuse programmes and secure care facilities.

Early Childhood Development (ECD) is one of the Apex and sectoral priorities that is seen as a major intervention to deal with child poverty. Not only does it provide poor children with daily sustenance, but it also provides them with a head start when they enter the mainstream of education. The department will this year fund an additional 100 ECD centres with special focus in the 11 identified poorest municipalities. This intervention will be done in collaboration with other social needs cluster departments and local municipalities. We will also accelerate the ECD registration campaign which started last year. An amount of R23,6 million has been allocated for this increase.

As part of this broader transformation programme to deal with child poverty, Madam Speaker, we are happy to announce that tariffs will increase from R9 to R12 per child per day in subsidised Early Childhood Development Centres (ECDs). This increase is meant to improve nutrition, recreation and administration of Early Childhood Development centres to prepare them mentally and physically for assimilation of education at grade one level. The programme has seen an increase from R78 million to R103 million.

Also, the department will increase funding for subsidised Children's Homes from R1 500 to R1 700 per child per month as a demonstration of our commitment to tackling child poverty and ensuring childcare and protection.

Our National Social Development Ten Point Plan puts an emphasis on the importance of inter-departmental and inter-sectoral collaboration. Therefore, in dealing with the high prevalence of child headed households, we will improve the number of community based cluster homes from 70 to 100 in partnership with Department of Housing and local municipalities who will make available some of their Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) houses. The purpose of this programme is to prevent the removal of orphaned children from their homes and render these services to them within and with participation of their communities. Services rendered in these cluster homes are foster care, income generation, parental skills, and capacity on decision-making. An amount of R6 369 000 is allocated for this increase. The overall budget for child care and protection has increased from R162 million to R227,8 million.

Crime prevention and support

Madam speaker and Honourable members, curbing crime is one of the Apex priorities of government. Our department plays a role in dealing with children in conflict with the law and in helping victims of crime. Working is the Department of Safety and Liaison and other members of the justice cluster we need to intensify implementation of the provincial crime prevention strategy. With regard to crime prevention and support, our entry point is to assess children in conflict with the law and awaiting trial in secure care facilities, child justice courts and other places of safety so that they can be appropriately diverted into developmental programmes. In centres such as our Sikhuselekile secure care centre in Mthatha, children receive training in small scale electronics, sewing, computer skills, brick making and life skills. The purpose is to divert them away from a life of crime. This is why the recruitment and retention of Probation Officers and Assistant Probation Officers has been so important. To advance the provisions of the child justice legislation we have set aside R15 million in the 2008/09 year to proceed with the construction of two more secure care facilities (one in Burgersdorp and the other at Grahamstown). The total budget for crime prevention and support has increased from R70 million to R99 million.

Victim empowerment

Madam speaker, levels of physical and sexual abuse, especially women and children, are unacceptably high in our country. Survivors of domestic violence still find it difficult to break away from their perpetrators because of their dependence on them for survival.

The department has prioritised the empowerment of survivors of abuse by creating safe homes and family resource centres that offer skills programmes for sustainability of the family. Members of the house, I am pleased to indicate that the department leads the entire country in its Kwanobuhle Outreach Centre model for handling the survivors of abuse. I am very pleased that the members of the Portfolio Committee for Social Development had the opportunity to visit the centre and I thank them for the inputs they made after their visit.

During the year ahead the national Department of Social Development will be introducing a European Community-sponsored project on victim empowerment. We will be participating in this initiative.

In 2008/09, we have set aside R14,9 million to improve services in the four existing outreach centres which are in King Sabata Dalindyebo, Nelson Mandela Bay, Buffalo City and the Lukhanji municipal areas.

HIV and AIDS

Madam speaker, HIV and AIDS is a threat to social and economic development in the Eastern Cape as it impacts negatively on gains made from 1994 to date in improving the quality of life and services to families and children. Deaths amongst the economically active section of population further deepen poverty and hardship; and results in family, community and social disintegration. This is already evidenced by the increase in the number of orphans, child-headed households, and other vulnerable children affected and infected by HIV and AIDS.

The Department of Social Development provides a range of services in dealing with HIV and AIDS through Home Community Based Care programmes (HCBCs). More than 23 000 children benefited from these interventions in the 2007/08 year. Our emphasis is the empowerment of communities to take responsibility in the care and support of the people infected and affected by HIV and AIDS. But Increased attention will be given to orphans and vulnerable children (OVCs) infected and affected by HIV and AIDS in the year ahead.

We will continue to work together with Departments in the social needs cluster like Health and Education. In particular, we will intensify the Back to School campaign which specifically targets OVCs by providing them with school uniform, clothing, food and counselling services.

Madam speaker, we will be expanding HCBCs from 67 to 114 in the province. This will also contribute to EPWP by creating 1 598 jobs for community care workers attached to HCBCs. They will receive stipends, training on accredited courses and skills development for the open labour market. An amount of R25,3 million has been allocated for these HCBCs.

Care and support to families

Madam Speaker, many of the social ills of our society can be traced back to the disintegration of the basic unit of society, the family, and the loss of traditional values. Therefore, stability in family units contributes to a healthy and functional society, which ultimately develops a nation.

The department has taken up the challenge of rendering care and support to families and promoting moral values and social cohesion. Through this programme, the department has therefore implemented nine family resource centres, eight family preservation and five single parents associations. This is in recognition
of the fact that values are learnt and practiced within a family situation, hence the need for the resource centres and preservation of the family unit. With regard to single parent families, it is important to make available life skills, relationship and parenting skills. In the Eastern Cape we cannot ignore the concept of the extended family and need to find ways of maximising the role of the extended family in dealing with social challenges faced by single parent families. The budget for this programme is R8,396 million.

Madam speaker, I need to mention in passing that our department is considered to be a best-practice model in its Humansdorp Family Resource Centre. We have had several national and provincial visits to view this centre of excellence.

Social relief of distress

Honourable members of the house, homesteads in rural areas and family units continue to be under severe threat due to natural disaster and socio- environmental factors beyond their control, which place them in extreme distress. The department will provide food and other basic necessities to those who qualify in terms of the applicable prescripts. We implement this programme in collaboration with the Department of Local Government and Traditional Affairs and local municipalities. We have also developed a close working relationship with the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA), who also has a budget allocation in this regard, to maximise the social relief of distress interventions.

The plight of families and individuals living on tip sites is a particular concern to government. During 2007/08, through the social needs cluster, a very successful intervention was made to address the challenges faced by nearly 300 families at the Second Creek Dump Site in Buffalo City. In our quest to restore human dignity and promote community development, the department will be extending this type of intervention to other dump sites in the province. People will be provided with sustenance and trained on the recycling of waste and other business ventures. R7,5 million has been allocated for Social Relief of Distress.

Moral regeneration

Madam speaker, as alluded to earlier, families and communities are core socialising units that inspire and create the moral and ethical values in society. In seeking to drive moral regeneration and in deepening this consciousness to individuals, families and groups, we have managed to establish moral regeneration structures in all six district municipalities and the metro in the last financial year. Municipalities will now locate moral regeneration movement (MRM) budgets within their Integrated Development Plans (IDPs).

In the 2008/09 year the provincial MRM structure, under the able leadership of the Rev. Mcebisi Xundu, will be focusing largely towards implementation of value based projects that will help to build a positive moral fibre within our troubled communities.

Substance abuse prevention and treatment

Statistics from the National Drug Authority indicate that our country is currently experiencing an alarming increase in substance abuse and related social problems. We also know from the macro-social report that most major crimes involve substance abuse.

Substance abuse mainly involves young people and adults, but its effects are far-reaching in society: increase in crime, loss of productivity, abuse, neglect and ill-treatment of children and women. The department is mandated to provide services for prevention, treatment and rehabilitation of people addicted to substances. One of the hotspot for the abuse of substance in the province is Port Elizabeth as well as the densely populated areas of former homelands. Working with the national department, several interventions have been developed across provinces. One of these is the Teenagers Against Drug Abuse (TADA) programme.

The department will increase the Teenagers Against Drug Abuse (TADA) groups from 24 to 72 across the province. Our target is to establish two TADA groups per area, but our long term objective is to have a TADA group per school. Also, we will further increase the number of Local Drug Committees to campaign and advocate against the excessive use of substances.

In the absence of a state treatment facility in the Eastern Cape, we have made provision for the establishment of a state treatment centre in the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro, working with the Department of Public Works. An amount of R8,7 million allocated for substance abuse prevention and treatment.

Services to older persons

Older persons remain one of the other (like children) most vulnerable groups in our society. The changing nature of society (weakened family ties, changed community structures, attitudes of communities to older persons, as well as the effects of HIV/AIDS, effects of poverty and deprivation) has negatively affected the family system, especially the extended family system in our African communities and the role of older persons.

Our country is a signatory to the United Nations mandates. Resolution 46 of 1991 has particular relevance for older persons, as has the Madrid plan of action on ageing, which seeks to protect older persons from neglect, abuse and ill treatment of older people. Our policy intervention in this regard also flows from the White Paper on Social Welfare which encourages de-institutionalisation towards community-based approach in age management.

In 2008/09, the department has budgeted an amount of R16 million for the 144 Community Based Care Centres (popularly called drop-in centres) and another R6,2 million for an additional 33, with especial focus in the eleven poorest municipalities.

The department will also engage in awareness campaigns to profile the provisions of the new Older Persons Act. We will also facilitate the participation of older persons in the inter-provincial Golden Games for older persons, which will be held in Western Cape this year. For these activities, we have allocated an amount of R358 000.

The tariffs for old age homes supported by the department will increase from R1 500 to R1 700 per person per month. The total allocation for care and support to older persons is R97 million.

Services to people with disabilities

This programme aims at implementing services that promote socio-economic empowerment in line with the Integrated National Disability Strategy (INDS). The INDS identifies key areas such as prevention, healthcare, rehabilitation, public education, barrier free access, transport, communications, data collection and research, formal education, employment, human resource development, social security, housing and sport and recreation. The vision of the INDS is a society for all. This requires that there must be an integration of disability issues in all government developmental strategies, planning and programmes.

The Departments 2006 macro-social study revealed that 5% of the people of the province have some form of disability. Of these 1,6% are young people and 31,5% are over 85 years, with 25% being visually disabled and 24,7% having physical disabilities. They face various challenges like abuse, neglect, poverty, unemployment, lack of access to services and structures.

Our interventions include skills development centres for the disabled, protective workshops, and funding programmes in special day care centres. The rate for children in special day care centres will be R17 per child per day.

The department will fund 22 residential care facilities across the seven Districts at a cost of R16 million, 30 special day care centres for children with mental challenges at a cost of R2 343 000, and 11 protective workshops at a cost of R1 500 000. The overall budget for these services to people with disabilities is R28,3 million.

Madam speaker, as a department championing the rights of people with disabilities, we cannot ignore our own staff members with disabilities. In 2007 we held a meeting with disabled staff to consult them on the challenges they face in the work place and interventions that are needed to improve their productivity and well-being. As a result of this, we are drafting a new departmental policy on staff with disabilities to create a better working environment for them to perform like other colleagues, we are accessing subsidised vehicles for staff with disabilities, we are facilitating processes for some disabled staff to obtain driver's licenses, and we are procuring software and other equipment to assist them in the work place.

Partnerships in delivering services

It would be remiss of me not to acknowledge the critical role that non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and non-profit organisations (NPOs) play in the delivery of social development services. These are our partners in striving to create a better life for all. In an attempt to improve quality services and to improve communication with our partners, the department has established a provincial statutory advisory board and seven district advisory boards. These are formed in terms of the Advisory Board Act of 2001 to monitor, oversee and advise the department on social welfare programmes. The membership consists of representatives from community-based organisations, faith based organisations, the NGO coalition and other social welfare bodies. Funding for the operations of these statutory boards in 2008/09 is R890 000.

The relationship between the subsidised NGOs and the department has sometimes been a difficult one. The department has now launched a revitalised the provincial NGO Liaison Committee (with seven subcommittees corresponding with the districts), to improve communication and the flow of information on operational issues between NGOs receiving subsidies and the department.

Poverty eradication and community development

Madam speaker, the department's interventions in the development and research programme have a specific focus in addressing socio-economic challenges resulting in high levels of unemployment, poverty and inequality by promoting and implementing sustainable development initiatives. The aim is to empower marginalised communities and poor households of the Eastern Cape Province with necessary capacities to access services and resources that will enable them to improve and sustain their livelihood status and in turn contribute to their own socio-economic development.

In the face of rural impoverishment as reflected in the department's 2006 Macro-Social Analysis Report, the Department of Social Development has reviewed its processes and is now refocusing its approach to co-operative development and support.

This new co-operative development approach whose focus is on women from vulnerable backgrounds will culminate in savings mobilisation and the establishment of community banking institutions within the communities. To this end the department has forged a linkage and partnership with the South African Micro Finance and Apex fund (SAMAF). This organisation will assist in the establishment of savings clubs by clustering our successful co-operative to establish savings clubs in each district municipality.

In her state of the province address the honourable Premier made reference to the Eastern Cape's poverty eradication programme, which are piloting in the 11 poorest or least developed local municipalities. An amount of just over R5 million has been set aside to recruit the necessary staff, establish the required information technology systems to identify and track people living in poverty and to implement and co-ordinate poverty eradication interventions. Madam speaker, I must stress, that although we are placing a special focus on these 11 poorest municipalities, we are not neglecting other areas of the province in the delivery of our services.

The Provincial Poverty Eradication Co-ordinating Committee, which brings together all departments to co-ordinate anti-poverty interventions is effectively our "war room" on poverty that the President has called for. Moreover, one of the recent lekgotla recommendations is that a poverty eradication summit be convened to crystallise all anti-poverty initiatives in a consultative manner. The department has already started working with Eastern Cape Socio-economic Consultative Council (ECSECC) to arrange the poverty summit in 2008.

Impact assessment of funded projects and capacity building

Over the years the Department of Social Development has funded a large number of sustainable livelihood projects, women's co-operatives and youth development projects. Some of these are doing well, others are limping and some have collapsed. These interventions have played a very important role in alleviating and reducing poverty in the Province, but we need to ensure that they are sustainable. We are therefore entering into a partnership agreement with the Rural and Urban Livelihoods Programme (RULIV) in the Office of the Premier to audit, assess the impact, and review all these projects going back to 2004/05.

The outcome of this process will inform the department on projects that need further strengthening as well as on successful projects that need referral to other entities like the Department of Economic Development and the Department of Agriculture. RULIV will also seek to leverage additional donor funding for those projects qualifying. An amount of R2,8 million has been set aside for this.

The department has also entered into an agreement with the University of Fort Hare (UFH) to develop and maintain capacity building framework, research support and monitoring and evaluation to programmes funded by the department. This process will assist the department in standardising the training programme of all funded projects and in co-ordinating the entire capacity building programme within the department so as to realise value for money. An amount totalling R13 million has been set aside for this purpose.

In 2007 we reviewed our business processes around community development projects to improve the manner in which project proposals and business plans are received, evaluated and approved. The primary goal is to ensure business processes are completed prior to the start of the financial year so that capacity building can take place and funds can flow early in the financial year. Arising from the audit of projects, we will fine-tune business processes further to simplify access by communities and to enhance monitoring and evaluation of projects.

Sustainable livelihoods

The sustainable livelihoods and women's co-operative projects are an important intervention in reducing poverty and closing the gap between the first and second economy. Madam speaker, the honourable members will recall that addressing eh issues of the second economy was one of the commitments made by the ANC in the 2004 election manifesto.

The department has further committed R41,3 million for sustainable livelihood projects. A total of 54 integrated food security projects will be implemented targeting 1 350 households in all seven districts (including the Metro), and a sum of R1 million has been identified to pilot 14 women savings clubs with South African Micro Finance and Apex Fund (SAMAF).

Women development and gender mainstreaming

Honourable members the gender mainstreaming policy requires, inter alia, that all departments engender their line function activities. The Department of Social Development has lifted the issue of women development. In the revised organisational structure we have established a specific directorate in programme three to promote sustainable development projects for women in the Eastern Cape in line with the national eight point plan for gender mainstreaming. This unit will focus on organising women into viable economic co-operatives. An amount of R25 million has been set aside, targeting a total of 750 groups of women implement 50 income generating ventures in all seven districts.

One such successful venture and best practice model is the Ithuba Labafazi project based in Uitenhage. This women's co-operative is composed of 15 members. It successfully in produces, packages and markets soya mince products that can now be found in the shelves of major chain stores. This co-operative also provided catering last year for 5 000 people at the Women's day celebrations in Maletswai. The success of this co-operative has led to it receiving further R500 000 from the department to purchase additional machinery to increase production.

On the issues of gender mainstreaming, Madam Speaker, I should perhaps note that it is not only our service delivery programmes that we are seeking to engender better? In terms of our staffing, the department as a whole is at 73% females and 27% males. The majority of middle management positions are occupied by females. In senior management posts, we moved last year from 22% female and are now at 32%. Specific posts in the revised structure are being targeted to take this closer to the 50% target for senior management.

Masupa Tsela youth pioneer programme and youth development

Masupa Tsela (meaning paving the way forward or umkhomba ndlela) is a pilot programme co-ordinated by the national Minister for Social Development, in which the Eastern Cape will be participating. It involves collaboration with the Cuban Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare as part of south-south co-operation and follows from the Joint Bilateral Commission between the Republic of Cuba and the Republic of South Africa that was established in December 2001.

The general thrust of the programme is, firstly, to intervene in the situation of young people, especially the unemployed rural youth, through skills development and improve their situation by linking them to sustainable opportunities. Secondly, to promote activism, patriotism, social cohesion and nation building amongst the youth. We are targeting 70 young people who will undergo training on data collection of household leaving in poverty and identification and registration of all children qualifying for Early Childhood Development (ECD). The overall thrust is to develop a new cadre of social work professionals.

Madam speaker, we are expecting a Cuban delegation led by Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Welfare in the Republic of Cuba, Ms Samira Marin Triana by next week, to kick start this very important programme.

With regard to other youth development projects, the department in the coming financial year has set aside R13 million to implement 26 Youth Development projects, targeting 390 out of school and unemployed youth to embark on entrepreneurial development programmes in all seven districts.

Partnership with the House of Traditional Leaders and Imbumba Yamakhosikazi Akomkhulu

The department is continuing its partnership with the House of Traditional Leaders and the association of wives of traditional leaders. This partnership has assisted in the identification of poor communities in the remote rural villages. In the previous financial year, the department implemented 10 income generating projects identified through the co-operation of Imbumba Yamakhosikazi Akomkhulu within the 10 regions recognised by the House of Traditional Leaders in the Eastern Cape. A budget of R7,5 million has been earmarked to work with them to support 275 poor households to have access to self employment opportunities in the coming financial year 2008/09.

Research and demographics

The research function in the department is critical for providing up to date information for evidence-based decision making. The evolution of the poverty eradication model requires additional capacity in research. The department has entered into a technical partnership with the Development Bank of Southern Africa to conduct research on the nature and extent of poverty in the Eastern Cape, focussing on the 11 poorest municipalities in the province. An amount of R6 million has been allocated for this purpose. We have also developed a close working relationship with ECSECC and will seek to strengthen this further in 2008/09.

Enhancing institutional capacity

Ultimately the best plans will fall .at if there are inadequate human resources to implement them. Adequately skilled staff are also needed in support services to ensure that we maintain a control environment that will satisfy the statutory requirements and promote efficient, effective and economical government. During 2006 and 2007 the department placed a considerable emphasis on recruiting professional and support staff. During 2007/08 we also finalised the revisions to our organisational structure in line with the new service delivery model. It would be unwise, Madam Speaker, to devise a structure to deliver services if that structure is to remain largely vacant.

The policy imperatives for this year will heavily depend on a well established institutional capacity of the department to spend the allocated budget within the stipulated timeframe, Madam speaker, since the excision of Social Security Services from the department, the shortage of staff especially in the finance section and professional services which is the core of the department has never been adequately addressed in the budget baseline.

We therefore consciously allocated an amount of some R124 million in the 2008/09 budget for filling of key vacancies on the revised structure. These were spread amongst the programmes as follows: 50% for social welfare services, 20% on corporate services (including the Districts and Local Service Offices), 25% on community development and research and 5% for staffing the poverty eradication programme. The advertisements for these vacancies will appear in the media during March and April 2008.

In addition, we have made provision within programme two for a significant programme of re-orientation of social welfare staff to improve understanding of the new service delivery paradigm, ensure that they utilise the management information systems fully and deliver social services optimally.

In the same vein, another key performance area will be the improvement of financial management systems and the control environment, as recommended by the Auditor-General. As part of tightening the environment control, we have enhanced the Management Information System (MIS) and established a pre-audit unit at a provincial level to oversee the procurement processes. This function will cascaded down to districts for quick decision making and for the acceleration of service delivery.

By way of concluding, I would like express a word of appreciation to all the officials of the department for their dedication and hard work; to the Honourable Members of the Portfolio Committee for Social Development under the very able leadership of the Honourable Mrs Tom for their support and encouragement and for rigorously executing their oversight functions; to all our stakeholders and partners for helping us to deliver on the promise of a better life for all. Let us honestly put our shoulders to the wheel and strive to improve the lives of the masses of our people. To paraphrase the great African freedom fighter Amilcar Cabral, let us claim no easy victories, mask no difficulties and tell no lies.

Madam Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to present to the House, Budget Vote four for Social Development which reflects an overall increase of 40% from the last financial year 2007/08. The detailed Strategic Plan and Annual Performance Plan as well as the Service Delivery Improvement Plan for 2008/09 are also tabled in the House, accompanying this policy speech.

2007/08 (Revised Estimate)
Administration: R202,646 million
Social Welfare Services: R573,039 million
Development and Research: R166,784 million
Total: R942,649 million

2008/09 (Medium Term Estimates)
Administration: R331,896 million
Social Welfare: R840,076 million
Development: R213,151 million
Total: R1385,123 million

2009/10 (Medium Term Estimates)
Administration: R365,928 million
Social Welfare: R847,100 million
Development: R199,845 million
Total: R1 412,873 million

2010/11 (Medium Term Estimates)
Administration: R379,936 million
Social Welfare: R935,209 million
Development: R317,834 million
Total: R1 632,979 million

Issued by: Department of Social Development, Eastern Cape Provincial Government
13 March 2008