Issued by: Ministry for Welfare and Population Development
11 September 1997
The South African Communication Services (SACS) five-day Parliamentary media briefing which has this week featured several Cabinet ministers, leaders of political parties, the Reserve Bank Governer, National Council of Provinces chairman and the National Assembly Speaker, ends in Cape Town tomorrow morning (Friday) with the spotlight on Welfare.
At 10am, Welfare and Population Development Minister Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi will address the media at the Large Auditorium of 120 Plein Street, marking an end to this year's SACS Parliamentary media briefing week. Speaking shortly before Minister Fraser-Moleketi will be Foreign Affairs Minister Alfred Nzo and Arts, Culture Science and Technology Ministers Lionel Mtshali.
With Cabinet having endorsed three major bills - the Welfare Matters Amendment Bill, Not-For-Profit Organisations Bill and the White Paper for Population Policy - Minister Fraser-Moleketi will explain the implications of the three bills, as well as saying what inroads have so far been made in transforming social welfare in South Africa.
On social security she will say how much progress has been made in cleaning the system of fraud and corruption, something that has affected several provinces in the country.
Among other issues the Welfare Matters Amendment Bill seeks to address, is social security. It will re-assign the Social Assistance Act of 1992 from provinces and restore the administration of the Act to the national sphere of Government. However, the Bill will provide for the delegation of powers to the provinces.
This measure has been approved by Welfare MECs and the provincial heads of department. The step has become necessary to ensure uniform application of social security legislation and regulations throughout the country. It is also in line with a Cabinet decision that social security should be a national function, also a recommendation of the Committee for the Restructuring of Social Security.
In her address, Minister Fraser-Moleketi will also report on progress on the transformation of the child and youth care centres throughout the country.
Issued: Brian Sokutu, Press Secretary Office of the Minister for Welfare and Population Development Cell: 082-80753-97