While unemployment continues to soar in the Northern Cape, the Department of Social Development is unable to fulfil its welfare obligations to the poor and vulnerable due to the ongoing lack of social workers in the province.

Since the beginning of April 2022, the department had 290 permanent social work and related professionals. Only 180 of these professionals are social workers employed by the department with an additional 55 at NPO level. This, while 401 social workers are needed to adequately render social support to vulnerable residents in the province.

The DA is concerned that the department is unable to increase its workforce due to fiscal constraints as it mentioned to the portfolio committee during the 2022/2023 annual report analysis last year.

At a time when the Northern Cape’s expanded unemployment rate is at 42.9%, the department can ill afford to have a lack of social service practitioners to provide the necessary psychosocial support to the most vulnerable members of society and develop programs to assist individuals and families living in poverty.

The department needs to reprioritise its budget to address the shortfall so that more social workers are absorbed into vacant positions within the department and NPO sector.

Government should be at the forefront of creating opportunities that people need to participate in a growing economy, while at the same time providing a strong social welfare safety net for the most vulnerable.

 

Issued by Dr Isak Fritz, MPL - DA Northern Cape Premier Candidate