Budget Vote speech by Dr Jean Swanson-Jacobs, Deputy Minister of Social Development, to the National Assembly, Cape Town

Chairperson
Honourable Minister of Social Development
Honourable members
MECs for Social Development
Distinguished guests
Members of the community present here today
Ladies and gentlemen

In his State of the Nation Address on 9 February 2007, the President called on all of us South Africans to renew our pledge to implement the programme of government to build a better life for all. Budget Vote 17 in this financial year aims to do this by implementing the other pillars of Comprehensive Social Security by addressing the needs of those who continue to fall into the poverty trap and to strengthen services to improve social cohesion and eradicate poverty. Part of this is the development of a system of mandatory retirement savings to improve the quality of life of many elderly persons who retire from employment without medical and retirement cover.

Chairperson, during the first decade of our democracy, the Department of Social Development's programme budget in the provinces had focused largely on social security. Indeed the social security programme has been very successful, currently paying grants to over 12 million beneficiaries. This success has created the public perception that Social Development is the department of pensions and grants only. However, the department's work includes social developmental services to all vulnerable South Africans including abandoned babies, orphans and vulnerable children, to children in conflict with the law, support to victims of crime and violence, to persons with disabilities and elderly persons. In addition to services to vulnerable persons, the department focuses on empowering, mobilising and developing the poor and marginalised. These include programmes, which develop skills to enable sustainable livelihoods, building social cohesion through strengthening families and communities and building a caring society.

However, provision of developmental welfare services is hampered by a severe shortage of social service professionals, some of whom had been enticed by strong currencies of Europe and the western world, while others have found the difficult working conditions and low salaries unbearable and have consequently left the profession. In this regard, the Department of Social Development is implementing its Recruitment and Retention strategy for Social Workers, aiming at encouraging young South Africans still at school to consider pursuing social work as a profession of choice and making scholarships available for them to study social work. The department has received an allocation of R365 million over the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) towards scholarships for study towards social work, including assisting those social work students who have completed their studies but cannot receive their degree certificates on account of outstanding fees still owing to the university. With the R50 million allocated this financial year, the department has awarded scholarships to 1 443 as part of creating the human capital needed to respond to the demand for service delivery and statutory obligations.

Through-put continues to be a concern and in this regard we appeal to training institutions to introduce the necessary academic development programmes and other support mechanisms, for example, mentoring, to ensure that South Africa reaps the harvest of this investment. As part of the strategy, the department will continue to strive for regular and continuing improvements in the working conditions of those already in the profession with a view to keeping them in the service. This effort will be strengthened by the department's focus on skills development and empowerment programmes for all social service professionals. As part of this effort, the provincial departments will train Social Auxiliary Workers (SAW) to render support to social workers and relieve their workload. This category of workers provides paraprofessional services and receives on the job training through the learnership programme, which is 30% theory and 70% practice. The capacity of social workers within the sector will be enhanced when supported by social auxiliary workers and community development practitioners. The department is working closely with the Council for Social Service Professions to formalise these and other additional service professions such as child and youth care workers, etc.

Chairperson, the President called for the deepening of social transformation, social cohesion, eradication of poverty and reduction and eradication of crime. In our context, it means that social grants must be integrated and supported by more effective social services if the social liabilities accumulated by those who have been disadvantaged by apartheid are to be addressed. Redressing the historical under-funding of developmental social services still remains the greatest challenge. The budget allocation of R25 million for integrated welfare services is a positive step in addressing this legacy. This will assist the department's new efforts of fostering interplay between social security and other social development services. These efforts will see social grant beneficiaries being linked to economic activity and sustainable livelihoods, as well as integrating information systems between the department and the South African Social Security agency (SASSA) to ensure that social grant beneficiaries also receive welfare and other basic services to salvage them from the poverty trap.

Honourable members, in addressing the increasing levels of serious interpersonal violence, in particular domestic violence and the abuse of children, victim empowerment programmes provides integrated services to victims of crime and violence to strengthen families and communities for a better life for all. These services form part of Department of Social Development's contribution to 365 days of activism against gender violence. Whilst the management of shelters is implemented at provincial level, the national department through Criminal Asset Recovery Account (CARA) has set R3 million aside to strengthen shelters.

The department continues to implement the National Youth Service Programme which is a partnership between the department, Umsombovu Youth Fund, National Association for Child Care Workers Service Programme and the Royal Netherlands Embassy. Through this programme, 192 volunteer assistant probation officers were appointed to render the Home-Based supervision programmes and 187 have completed block one training which is conducted by the University of Western Cape. Ninety three Probation Officers from all provinces were trained as assessors and mentors of voluntary assistant probation officers. Approximately 1 986 children have benefited from the Home-Based supervision programme and 12 770 have been diverted from the criminal justice system. Through the roll out of the department's secure care centre management system to be completed by March 2008, the department will strengthen the delivery of services in this area.

Ladies and gentlemen, the Departments of Education, Health and Social Development drafted a national implementation plan known as the Integrated Plan for Early Childhood Development (ECD), which was approved by Cabinet in 2006. The plan is currently under revision with a view to exponentially increase the number of employment opportunities under this programme, which will also assist the department in extending the reach of its services. This plan forms part of the Expanded Public Works Programme which will see an increase in the registration of ECD centres throughout the country, especially in those communities where poor children are to be found. The inclusion of early childhood development and home based care services targeting children will improve their lives and deliver them from vulnerability, through the determination of minimum standards for service delivery in this field.

Honourable members, the scourge of HIV/AIDS and other diseases has left many children without parents. Together with our social partners, the Non-Governmental Organisations, Community-Based Organisations and Faith-Based Organisations, the department continues to make strides in improving the lives of orphans and vulnerable children, to ensure that they have access to nutrition, social grants and are assisted by home based carers. The Children's Amendment Bill, which is currently before the NCOP, provides for early intervention by organisations and state officials to ensure the safety of children. Such intervention will not be possible unless members of the public are vigilant and adopt the motto of "your child is my child" and intervene wherever children may be in danger. By December 2007, the department will have implemented the strategy for foster care. It will also implement and monitor the policy on child abuse, neglect and exploitation through 75% of offices during this financial year.

The regulations for the Children's Amendment Act and programmes for children living and working on the streets will be in place by March 2008. All programmes for children are inter-linked to ensure that the interest of the child comes first and guides our service delivery in protection and care of children. Ladies and gentlemen, alcohol and substance abuse is on the increase and the abuse of methamphetamine in the Western Cape has reached epidemic proportions. This toxic drug, to which children as young as eight years old have become addicted, has been raging in the Western Cape Province for more than five years. Addicted teenagers are engaging in risky sexual behaviour, increasing their vulnerability to HIV/AIDS and their unborn children.

Chairperson, I take the view that only a concerted, highly visible, protracted and integrated public awareness campaign can best educate and inform our communities about the National Drug Master Plan. In this regard, provinces should intensify their efforts to provide early intervention services to divert our children who may be at risk, to appropriate activities in the fields of arts and culture, sport, leadership camps, etc. To this end, R2,8 million has been budgeted for the Ke Moja campaign in the 2007/08 financial year and we are gearing up to embark on a massive public education campaign. Two hundred service providers will be trained on substance abuse intervention and trends during this financial year.

The department held its first Biennial Substance Abuse summit in February of this year, which was very successful. The summit resolved amongst others to strengthen Ke Moja as a national awareness programme together with other initiatives such as, South African National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (SANCA), Love Life and Soul City, strengthen the Central Drug Authority (CDA) support structures and consolidate the establishment of the Local Drug Action Committees, develop integrated intervention programmes for the prevention of substance abuse amongst children and strengthen existing programmes.

All provinces are directed by the National Drug Master Plan to formulate plans to implement prevention, early intervention and treatment to reduce the scourge of alcohol and substance abuse. To facilitate this, the budget of the CDA which has a responsibility to oversee the implementation of the National Drug Master Plan (NDMP) has been increased substantially. Most provinces have launched substance abuse forums and municipalities are establishing local drug action committees in which teachers, social workers, police, justice officials and members of the community will formulate plans to combat substance abuse in their areas. These forums should be utilised to integrate the community based programmes from the various departments like Education, South African Police Service (SAPS) and Social Development that have a bearing on crime prevention and community safety.

In the near future, the department will table the Prevention of and Treatment for Substance Bill. The Bill aims to make it incumbent on provinces to make prevention, early intervention services, treatment and after-care services accessible. This Bill also provides for a framework to guide the implementation of the NDMP, to ensure compliance by the relevant departments with the provisions of the plan.

Madam Chairperson, South Africa's two-year term as chairperson of the African Population Commission of the African Union ends later this year. During this term we promoted the values and priorities that underpin our population policy. A definite highlight of our term was the recent Pan-African conference titled Population and Development in Africa Research and Policy Dialogue for Action, which we hosted in Mafikeng in collaboration with local partners, the African Union, the United Nations Population Fund and United Nations, Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation's (UNESCO) Management of Social Transformations Programme, of which Minister Skweyiya is the President.

The conference concluded with the adoption of the so-called Mafikeng Declaration, which represents an inclusive and broad based commitment to action which builds on existing intergovernmental agreements in an Africanised, engendered and decisive manner. We have also explored how the recommendations on mother and child health could strengthen the Southern African Development Community (SADC) programme. Countries were encouraged to investigate the role of men in maternal and child health by commissioning a country comparative study and to decide how best the results can be used in maternal and child health programmes. In conclusion, I call on each one of us to renew our pledge to build a South Africa in which every citizen can participate fully and actively and be treated with dignity and respect. We can achieve more if we work together to improve the quality of life of all.

I thank you.

Issued by: Department of Social Government
23 May 2007