Date: 03/06/2004
Source: Ministry of Social Development
Title: Z Skweyiya: Media briefing on Social Development Budget Vote
MINISTER'S MEDIA BRIEFING ON THE BUDGET VOTE 19 FOR 2004/2005, 3 June 2004
Ladies and Gentlemen of the media
Distinguished Guests.
The purpose the briefing is to outline key priorities of the DSD for the year 2004/5.
These priorities are informed primarily by the President's State of the Nation Address, which focused on ensuring that we work to build a people's contract to fight poverty and create work in order to build a better life for all especially the most vulnerable sections of our society.
The Budget Vote is also informed by Vision 2014, in which the DSD and the sector will give particular attention to enhancing the realisation of amongst others, the reduction of poverty by half in 2014, the reduction of unemployment by half in 2014, meaningful social integration, cohesion and justice for the most vulnerable sectors especially children, people with disabilities and older persons. Enhancing Africa's role in the global socio- economic development within the context of NEPAD, remains a key priority.
The main emphasis is to ensure that we work on clear times frames to deliver on all the programmes we will be undertaking in 2004 2005.
The main aims of that are to
* Consolidate the gains made on the delivery of services to poorest of the poor
* Improve the quality of service we render to the most vulnerable and
* to accelerate the delivery of services working in partnership with the various spheres of government as well as consolidation of the gains made and improve service delivery and putting children first
* We have made significant achievement with regard to poverty relief for the most vulnerable sectors
* There are currently over 8 million beneficiaries of social grants. Notably over 50 % being children living in poverty,
Over 1,5 million beneficiaries of the Food Emergency Scheme mostly child-headed households and people with chronic diseases like HIV and AIDS.
We are currently supporting over 314 Home and community based care centres for people infected and affected by HIV and AIDS mostly children and R70 million this year.
Over the past five to ten years we have supported over 3 500 Poverty Relief income generation projects to the tune of over R560 million that are targeting mostly unemployed rural women throughout the country.
Main priorities and focus Areas
The improvement of service delivery with regard to the provision of social security is top of the agenda this year. I am happy to announce that that process of establishing the SA Social Security Agency (SASSA) has indeed begun in earnest. The President signed the SASSA Act on 28th May 2004 and the Agency will fully be operational by March 2005. The acting CEO of the Agency has been appointed and work streams have also been established to overseer the acceleration of the Agency and the inspectorate by April 2005. The focus in the establishment of the Agency is on:
* improving effectiveness and efficiency in grant management and administration of social grants;
* significant reduction in fraud and corruption in respect of management and administration for grants
* enhancing Batho-Pele principles in delivery of quality in services to the poorest of the poor.
Putting Children First
The programmes related to the improvement and realisation of the socio-economic rights of children and their protection form from all forms of abuse is topmost on the agenda of our Budget Vote 19. The key focus areas in this regard are
Finalisation of the Children's Bill. This Bill will mark a new era in the endeavours of government to ensure that children's rights are upheld at all times. The aim is to the promotion of the constitutional rights of children is entrenched within the society in a sustainable manner. Alongside awareness campaigns on the rights of children will continue to be intensified.
The campaign to register all eligible children under 11 (eleven) years this year and under 14 years next year remains a key priority. This process will ensure that an additional 3,2 million vulnerable children are registered thereby bringing the total number of CSG beneficiaries to over 7 million in the next two years.
This year we will also ensure that the older Persons Bill goes through parliament and thereby enhance the protection of older persons and promote their rights
Provision of Food Security to the most vulnerable households especially child-headed children.
In 2004/5, we will give even more focused attention to the issue of enhancing e access of the most vulnerable to food security including the children, child headed households, people with chronic diseases like HIV and AIDS through the Food Emergency Scheme within the context of the Integrated Food Security and Nutrition Programme
Reducing poverty through employment creation
Beginning this year, through the Expanded Public Works Programme we envisage to create 185 0000 jobs over the next five years with a view to enhance the creation of work through volunteer programmes especially within the Early Childhood Development Programmes and the Home and Community Based Care.
Our comprehensive to improve sustainable livelihoods is meant precisely to reduce overtime the proportion of people who are dependent on social grants. In this regard we prioritise the development of the early childhood development sector so that children below grade R are provided with the necessary material; and psychosocial support so that they grow into healthy, economically active and responsible citizens
Cooperative Governance and the Strengthening of Partnerships
We have over the past five years developed a range of partnerships with various stakeholders. This will be further consolidated and deepened to enhance accelerated service delivery to the poorest of the poor. In this direction, close collaboration with local government as well as consolidation of our work with the provinces, especially with regard to the indigence policy and other poverty alleviation programmes will be enhanced. We will also continue to strengthen our work with the private sector partners, labour, civil society, faith-based organizations. This will take place within the context of building a people' contract to strengthen families and communities for a better life for all.
This year will also see the finalization of the process of developing a comprehensive policy and strategy on families in South Africa. This policy is aimed at building and strengthening families; enhance moral regeneration, social integration and social justice. Social crime prevention will constitutes a critical element of this process.
Strengthening NEPAD and Africa's Role in the World
Ladies and Gentlemen, the building of a better South Africa and a better world we will this year, more than ever before, strengthen our international relations work. We will give particular attention to bilateral, regional and multilateral processes in order to advance the NEPAD and African Union social developmental goals and objectives.
For more information contact:
Mbulelo Musi
Tel: (012) 312 7654
Fax: (012) 312 7943
Cell: 082 904 3395
E-mail: Mbulelo.Musi@socdev.gov.za
Website: www.socdev.gov.za
Issued by: Ministry of Social Development
3 June 2004
Source: Ministry of Social Development
Title: Z Skweyiya: Media briefing on Social Development Budget Vote
MINISTER'S MEDIA BRIEFING ON THE BUDGET VOTE 19 FOR 2004/2005, 3 June 2004
Ladies and Gentlemen of the media
Distinguished Guests.
The purpose the briefing is to outline key priorities of the DSD for the year 2004/5.
These priorities are informed primarily by the President's State of the Nation Address, which focused on ensuring that we work to build a people's contract to fight poverty and create work in order to build a better life for all especially the most vulnerable sections of our society.
The Budget Vote is also informed by Vision 2014, in which the DSD and the sector will give particular attention to enhancing the realisation of amongst others, the reduction of poverty by half in 2014, the reduction of unemployment by half in 2014, meaningful social integration, cohesion and justice for the most vulnerable sectors especially children, people with disabilities and older persons. Enhancing Africa's role in the global socio- economic development within the context of NEPAD, remains a key priority.
The main emphasis is to ensure that we work on clear times frames to deliver on all the programmes we will be undertaking in 2004 2005.
The main aims of that are to
* Consolidate the gains made on the delivery of services to poorest of the poor
* Improve the quality of service we render to the most vulnerable and
* to accelerate the delivery of services working in partnership with the various spheres of government as well as consolidation of the gains made and improve service delivery and putting children first
* We have made significant achievement with regard to poverty relief for the most vulnerable sectors
* There are currently over 8 million beneficiaries of social grants. Notably over 50 % being children living in poverty,
Over 1,5 million beneficiaries of the Food Emergency Scheme mostly child-headed households and people with chronic diseases like HIV and AIDS.
We are currently supporting over 314 Home and community based care centres for people infected and affected by HIV and AIDS mostly children and R70 million this year.
Over the past five to ten years we have supported over 3 500 Poverty Relief income generation projects to the tune of over R560 million that are targeting mostly unemployed rural women throughout the country.
Main priorities and focus Areas
The improvement of service delivery with regard to the provision of social security is top of the agenda this year. I am happy to announce that that process of establishing the SA Social Security Agency (SASSA) has indeed begun in earnest. The President signed the SASSA Act on 28th May 2004 and the Agency will fully be operational by March 2005. The acting CEO of the Agency has been appointed and work streams have also been established to overseer the acceleration of the Agency and the inspectorate by April 2005. The focus in the establishment of the Agency is on:
* improving effectiveness and efficiency in grant management and administration of social grants;
* significant reduction in fraud and corruption in respect of management and administration for grants
* enhancing Batho-Pele principles in delivery of quality in services to the poorest of the poor.
Putting Children First
The programmes related to the improvement and realisation of the socio-economic rights of children and their protection form from all forms of abuse is topmost on the agenda of our Budget Vote 19. The key focus areas in this regard are
Finalisation of the Children's Bill. This Bill will mark a new era in the endeavours of government to ensure that children's rights are upheld at all times. The aim is to the promotion of the constitutional rights of children is entrenched within the society in a sustainable manner. Alongside awareness campaigns on the rights of children will continue to be intensified.
The campaign to register all eligible children under 11 (eleven) years this year and under 14 years next year remains a key priority. This process will ensure that an additional 3,2 million vulnerable children are registered thereby bringing the total number of CSG beneficiaries to over 7 million in the next two years.
This year we will also ensure that the older Persons Bill goes through parliament and thereby enhance the protection of older persons and promote their rights
Provision of Food Security to the most vulnerable households especially child-headed children.
In 2004/5, we will give even more focused attention to the issue of enhancing e access of the most vulnerable to food security including the children, child headed households, people with chronic diseases like HIV and AIDS through the Food Emergency Scheme within the context of the Integrated Food Security and Nutrition Programme
Reducing poverty through employment creation
Beginning this year, through the Expanded Public Works Programme we envisage to create 185 0000 jobs over the next five years with a view to enhance the creation of work through volunteer programmes especially within the Early Childhood Development Programmes and the Home and Community Based Care.
Our comprehensive to improve sustainable livelihoods is meant precisely to reduce overtime the proportion of people who are dependent on social grants. In this regard we prioritise the development of the early childhood development sector so that children below grade R are provided with the necessary material; and psychosocial support so that they grow into healthy, economically active and responsible citizens
Cooperative Governance and the Strengthening of Partnerships
We have over the past five years developed a range of partnerships with various stakeholders. This will be further consolidated and deepened to enhance accelerated service delivery to the poorest of the poor. In this direction, close collaboration with local government as well as consolidation of our work with the provinces, especially with regard to the indigence policy and other poverty alleviation programmes will be enhanced. We will also continue to strengthen our work with the private sector partners, labour, civil society, faith-based organizations. This will take place within the context of building a people' contract to strengthen families and communities for a better life for all.
This year will also see the finalization of the process of developing a comprehensive policy and strategy on families in South Africa. This policy is aimed at building and strengthening families; enhance moral regeneration, social integration and social justice. Social crime prevention will constitutes a critical element of this process.
Strengthening NEPAD and Africa's Role in the World
Ladies and Gentlemen, the building of a better South Africa and a better world we will this year, more than ever before, strengthen our international relations work. We will give particular attention to bilateral, regional and multilateral processes in order to advance the NEPAD and African Union social developmental goals and objectives.
For more information contact:
Mbulelo Musi
Tel: (012) 312 7654
Fax: (012) 312 7943
Cell: 082 904 3395
E-mail: Mbulelo.Musi@socdev.gov.za
Website: www.socdev.gov.za
Issued by: Ministry of Social Development
3 June 2004
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