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The Minister of Social Development, Ms Lindiwe Zulu, tabled the Department’s Annual Performance Plan (APP) with the Select Committee on Health and Social Development in Parliament yesterday.

The Committee raised its concern about the plight of unemployed social workers around the country and wanted to know what plans the Department had to employ social workers across Government. The Minister revealed to the Committee that the employment of social workers was high on her agenda and believes that an engagement across Government and the private sector was necessary. 

In March this year, the Department called on all unemployed social workers invitation to register on the departmental database. This initiative was aimed at informing the Department about the number of unemployed social work graduates who studied outside the Social Development scholarship programme; thus enabling efficient planning and wider inclusion of all social work graduates in government recruitment processes.

It was revealed in the Committee meeting that 7 000 unemployed workers have registered on the departmental database. This figure excludes the 5 000 unemployed social workers who studied through Social Development Scholarship programme. 

Keeping in mind that the social work profession was declared a critical skill in the country in 2001 - Government, through the Department of Social Development, is developing an interdepartmental human resource planning and management strategy.  

The strategy, is informed by the National Development Plan (NDP) Vision, which aims to facilitate the employment of social workers as part of 55 000 social service practitioners required by the country by the end of the year 2030.  

Social work remains a critical skill and one of the most important professions which contribute towards improving the lives of poor and vulnerable South Africans.

The Committee raised among other issues: the scourge of gender based violence, the continued rise in HIV infections amongst young people, the abuse of alcohol and substance abuse, the fraud and corruption in the grant system and urged the Minister to work with the Social Development sector. 

The Department of Social Development will on Friday, 19 July, have a workshop with the Portfolio Committee on Social Development, in Parliament, Cape Town. 

Issued by Department of Social Development