The objective of social welfare is to promote the well-being of individuals, families and communities. welfare services are part of a broad menu of social services which aim to enhance the quality of all South Africans and which provide an enabling environment for children, youth, women families and older persons to achieve their aspirations. A number of initiatives have been taken to ensure the transformation of social services within a developmental framework, including a policy on developmental social welfare services, a new Welfare Financing Policy and Developmental Quality Assurance (DQA) management instrument.
Provincial Breakdown of Welfare Services Spending (Allocation per province for 1999/2000)
| R'000 | |
| Eastern Cape | 231 892 |
| Northern Cape | 63 518 |
| Western Cape | 330 291 |
| North West | 103 626 |
| Northern Province | 97 700 |
| Free State | 134 246 |
| Kwa-Zulu Natal | 224 915 |
| Mpumalanga | 85 202 |
| Gauteng | 485 458 |
| Total | 1 756 848 |
Welfare Service Allocations By Sector (excluding social security)
| R'000 | |
| Child and family care | 610 013 |
| Care for the aged | 372 798 |
| Care for the disabled | 120 890 |
| Drug dependant care | 52 091 |
| Care of the offender | 20 100 |
| Other | 348 238 |
| Administrative support | 232 718 |
| Total | 1 756 848 |
The International Year for Older Persons, 1999 (IYOP) was successfully commemorated at national, provincial and local level. The promotion and the protection of the rights of older persons were central to all programmes and the active participation of children and young people in most of the programmes confirmed the relevance and importance of an intergenerational approach to ageing.
One of the success stories of IYOP was the essay competition. Approximately 21 000 stories written by children about their parents and highlighted the importance of older persons as role models and caregivers were received. The stories provide an ideal opportunity for research regarding young people's understanding of old age and their perception about the status of older persons in society.
Operation Dignity was launched in the Northern Province during November 1999. The objective of the project is to promote the restoration of the dignity of older persons through the development of community plans of action, and the establishment of humane conditions at pension pays points. It is envisaged that Operation Dignity will be replicated in all the provinces.
The following mechanisms were developed to address elder abuse, neglect and ill treatment in an effective manner:
A conceptual framework for an integrated community based model was developed and will be tested and further developed by means of two pilot projects in the Free State. The residential care policy as well as the minimum standards for frail care and community-based care and support will be tested as part of the pilot project, which will be launched on 1 March 2000. A study to develop an appropriate model for assisted living will be piloted in Mpumalanga.
The discussion group on ageing engaged in the development of a policy framework on ageing for the period 2000 - 2010. A draft South African Declaration on Ageing has been developed which will be part of the new policy framework. The policy framework will include minimum standards for residential as well community based care and support.
Sectoral Budget Support to the amount of R11, 7million was received from the Netherlands Government for the 1998/99 financial year. This was to ensure the integration of the work of the IMC, currently referred to as the Transformation of the Child and Youth Care System (TCYCS) into the line functions of the relevant national and provincial departments. A plan of action in this regard is currently drafted.
The outputs of the initiatives started by the IMC are:
- Training in family preservation, professional foster care, diversion of young people from the criminal justice system,
- Life skills/creative skills, development assessment, family group conferencing and
- Transformation principles'
- Secure care training i.e., Basic Qualification Secure Care for personnel of the Kroonstad and Bonnytown Centres.
- A developmental approach by combining a monitoring tool with a capacity building process;
- A team approach combining both government and non-government personnel
DQA's have been completed at 30 residential care facilities in Gauteng, Western cape, Eastern Cape and Kwa-Zulu Natal so far.
This national and provincial inter-sectoral project aims to unblock the residential child and youth care system, to assess each and every child entering the criminal justice system and to prevent the movement of children deeper into the system. According to statistics for January-December 1999, the project impacted on the lives of 18,063 children as follows:
The Cabinet moratorium on the movement of children deeper into the system expired at the end of November 1999. The project now has to be institutionalized in provinces, however negotiations are underway to find out whether there is a need for an interim mechanism for co-ordination purposes.
The Probation Services Amendment Bill has not served before Cabinet as anticipated. A further round of consultations was held with 80 probation officers from all 9 provinces during the Western Cape Provincial Training Workshop in November 1999. The department is hopeful that the Amendment Bill will become an Act during 2000.
Probation officers and assistant probation officers have continued to receive training and re-training on:
An Assistant Probation officers project was set up in the Western Cape and Northern Province.
The Degree in Probation Practice1 is gaining significant momentum and has attracted many practicing professionals. Exploratory discussions were held with Rand Afrikaans University and the University of Port Elizabeth regarding initiating a Degree in Probation Practice as from the 2000 academic year.
A number of provinces held provincial probation workshops where valuable inputs for the national department were given. The Probation Advocacy Group, a provincial consultative mechanism, met once during the past year to consider issues relating to:
Progress in the Establishment of Secure Care Facilities
| PROVINCE | STATUS OF FACILITY | NO. OF CHILDREN | STAFFING POSITION | TRAINING | COMMENTS |
| MPUMALANGA | Building not complete | 35 children | Manager and some staff appointed | Staff not trained | Problems with contractor led to delays of building programme |
| KWA-ZULU NATAL | Old building renovated. Facility still functions as a place of detention | 80 children | Old staff members in place. There is a need to do a skills audit and to do a resolution of staff | All present staff trained | Many of the present staff members are not suitable for secure care |
| EASTERN CAPE | Facility has recently been DQA. Building completed but functions as a Place of Safety | 35 children | Old staff members in place. There is a need to do a skills audit and to do a resolution of staff | All staff trained | DQA will be undertaken. The Province is considering a one-stop youth justice centre with a residential facility. |
| GAUTENG | Gauteng is using two facilities for secure care. Both facilities don’t meet the requirements | Walter Sisulu caters for 70 children. Dyambo caters for 350 children |
A DQA will be done in Gauteng to fully assess position | Staff at Walter Sizulu has been trained | Concern has been expressed at the large number of children in one Place of Safety |
| NORTHERN PROVINCE | Facility functions as a place of safety | 30 children | New staff - but for a place of safety | Staff will be trained | Discussions will take place with Province to assist getting Secure Care in place. |
| NORTHERN CAPE | Facility opened as a secure centre but functions as a place of detention | 30 children | DQA will be done | Staff members have been trained | Province is planning the opening of a 2nd secure care centre in Upington |
| FREE STATE | Fully functional as a Secure Care Centre | 35 children | Manager and new staff appointed | All staff have been trained | Facility has been identified as a best practice model |
| NORTH WEST | Building completed and officially opened | 35 children | Manager and staff appointed | Staff has been trained | Second secure care to be built in Mmabatho |
| WESTERN CAPE | Bonnytown function as a Place of Detention. New Secure Care centre building in Faure has been completed | 60 children | Facility will be outsourced | One of the requirements for the prospective tenderer is to have all staff trained | DQA needs to be done at Bonnytown |
Between August 1996 and December 1999, 297 staff members at different secure care facilities were trained in the five modules of Basic Qualification Secure Care. Provision has been made in the TCYCS budget for the continuation of training.
R7701 was rolled over to the 1999/2000 financial year to enable 4 provinces2 to complete their facilities. 83% of the budget has been expended to date. The bulk of the remaining 17% will be utilized for additions to the Sonop Secure Care Centre in Britz. The table on page 16 highlights the present situation
The Child Care Amendment Act 13 of 1999 came into operation on 1 January 2000. The main purpose of the amendments was to provide for a right to appeal against certain orders relating to children, for the establishment of secure care facilities, for the prohibition against the sexual exploitation of children and to make further provision for the estimation of a person's age in certain proceedings.
The Minister for Welfare, Population and Development together with the Minister for Justice requested the South African Law Commission to appoint a Project Committee to Review of the Child Care Act. The aim is to draft comprehensive childcare legislation that should be compatible with the provisions of the South African Constitution, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child. The Department of Welfare is the principal of the Child Care Act 74 of 1983 and is represented on the Project Committee.
A drafter has been appointed to assist the Law Commission in managing the new legislation process. Sufficient time is needed for a further consultative process and for the publishing of a draft Bill for comment. Only thereafter a revised draft Bill will be tabled in Parliament.
1. The Department of Welfare was responsible for documentation towards ratification of the charter. Parliament approved ratification and South Africa deposited its instrument of accession to the African Children's Charter.
2. The NPA is a long-term process for implementing actions for the survival, protection, development and participation of children in South Africa - The Department of Welfare submitted a report to supplement the Initial Country Report of South Africa on the Convention on the Rights of the Child to the United Nations. This report was discussed in Geneva during January 2000.
The draft discussion document on minimum standards for Foster Care has been negotiated with provinces and the document will be finalized by the end of 2000. A draft discussion paper on foster care for the revision of the Child Care Act has been submitted to the Law Commission . The document addresses the placement of HIV/AIDS infected and affected children and proposes a new thinking of permanency planning for children in alternative care and various options regarding the extension of court orders.
In the past year the Department of Welfare continued its participation in the Integrated Justice System and is represented on the IJS Board. A brief progress report on current projects is outlined below.
This project aims at designing a model court to ensure the smooth flow of dockets and information between the CJS departments. The model will also have a scheduling function, to avoid duplication in courts. Seventeen tenders are being evaluated and it is anticipated that a tender will be awarded in April/ May 2000. The pilot project will be carried out in Johannesburg and Durban and will impact on probation services for children and adults as well as the welfare residential care facilities accommodating children.
This project aims to reduce the case cycle time of the awaiting trial population and is in response to the overcrowding in prisons and welfare residential care facilities. The project is being piloted in Port Elizabeth, Durban, Pietermaritzburg, Empangeni, Pretoria, Johannesburg, Middelburg and Polls Moore Prison in Cape Town and exploratory meetings have already taken place in Bloemfontein and Kimberley. Provincial HODs have nominated their officials for the respective teams and to date the project has complemented the Project Go initiatives. The outcomes of the 6 pilots are being audited, before national rollout will be considered.
The purpose of this project is to investigate, design and implement an automated system to provide critical information to measure and manage the justice system. The system will enable the 4 core departments to operate as a single integrated process-driven enterprise. As appropriate Provincial Welfare infrastructure is not readily available to ensure Welfare's full participation, negotiations were started with the provinces to look at a readiness plan for provincial and national departments. SITA will assist the Department in this initiative.
This project aims to provide positive identification of every person entering the criminal justice system and will greatly assist probation officers to positively identify some of their old clients, posing as new clients under a different name.
This project aims to ensure alignment of the key business areas of the 4 core departments in terms of strategic management, process management, HRM &HRD, Information management, Finances and Logistics. A range of departmental and joint work sessions involving all levels of management was conducted to verify processes. All of this will culminate in a tender for a 'toolkit'.
An audit of IJS Projects was done, impacting on the VEP, One Stop Early Intervention Services Business Plan and Secure Care.
The R14, 895 received from the Policy Reserve Fund has been divided amongst the 9 provinces, and will be accessed through conditional Grants. The allocations will be used for appointment of assistant probation officers; family finders; additional diversion programmes; replication of reception, assessment and referral centers; additional youth development components and one stop early intervention services in 4 provinces. The 4 provinces involved in the Presidential Urban Renewal Strategy have been tasked to ensure services in the identified areas.
The Victim Empowerment Programme (VEP) places special focus on women and children and is one of the priority programmes identified within the National Crime Prevention Strategy. The VEP is led by the Department of Welfare (both national and provincial) in close co-operation with a team of experts in the field of victim empowerment.
Central to the Department's initiatives is the establishment of 52 Victim Empowerment Projects at provincial levels. These projects operate on the basis of Ò24-hour one-stop service centres'. Women and children receive a range of services rendered by trained professional and/or volunteer staff. These projects include the following:
The following are the main achievements over the past year:
7.1. The Domestic Violence Act, 1998 (Act 116 of 1998) was implemented on 15 December 1999. The following activities were undertaken in preparation for this:
A national audit of domestic violence projects in the Department has been completed and submitted to the Department of Safety and Security
The Department of Justice developed an integrated Implementation Plan on the Domestic Violence Act.
At a Victim Empowerment Workshop on domestic violence a task team was formed for the implementation of business plans for training, resource directory and pilot projects.
7.2 Briefing sessions on the implementation of the Domestic Violence Act were conducted in the provinces during November and December 1999. Two hundred and thirty three social workers and South African Police officials were briefed. The Department is in the process of appointing an organization that will offer uniform training for social workers and lay counsellors in the nine provinces.
7.3 The Department has established a partnership with the National Network on Violence Against Women (NNOVAW) to develop a Resource Directory on Domestic Violence. The Directory consists of the following services:
7.4 The Department managed the drafting of integrated business plans for the establishment of local domestic violence projects
7.5 An information Sheet on the Domestic Violence Act has been developed and distributed to stakeholders.
7.6 A pamphlet on Domestic Violence was developed and utilized during National Women's Day, 9 August.
7.7 This Department made a financial contribution towards the reprinting of a pamphlet on the Domestic Violence Act, to coincide with the implementation of the Domestic Violence Act, 15 December 1999.
7.8 The Department participated in the commemoration of National Women's Day, 9 August, in Ermelo (Mpumalanga Province) and Mothibistad (North-West Province. The focus included domestic violence and HIV/AIDS.
Developmental Programmes For Unemployed Women With Children Under Five Years
The national Department of Welfare allocated the following amounts to the Flagship Programme:
1996/1997: R3 000 000.00
1997/1998: R1 564 000.00
1998/1999: R2 700 000.00
2000/2001: R1 612 000.00
2001/2002: R 55 580.00
In all, fifteen pilot projects were managed and maintained in the nine provinces. The current number of participating women is 867 and the number of the children is 946. The training that the women in the pilot projects received covered practical skills such as hair dressing, hospitality and early childhood development training, as well as skills in project management, financial management, life skills, literacy and numeracy. Social skills such as the ability to negotiate for themselves, problem solving and decision-making skills were also attended to. Many of the projects are potentially sustainable.
In line with the ultimate goal of the Flagship Programme to have a best practice model with minimum standards, research was completed on three pilot projects and valuable information was obtained that will feed into the best practice model.
The Flagship Programme participated in the Impumelelo Innovations Programme Award, which was created to reward innovative and exceptional examples of service delivery in the public sector. The focus is particularly on the reduction of poverty in South Africa and on best practices that improve the quality of life of the poor. The Flagship Programme as a whole reached the semi-finalist stage and a semi-finalist award was presented to the Flagship Programme on 8 December 1999 in Cape Town.
The partnership between the national Department of Welfare, TRANSNET and the provincial Departments of Welfare in Mpumalanga and Eastern Cape resulted in the handing-over of containers to the Minister for Welfare, Population and Development, Dr Z Skweyiya at the Driefontein Flagship Project in Driefontein, Mpumalanga on 29 October 1999 and the Melisiswe Tambo Multi-purpose Project near Bizana on 3 December 1999 by Ms Riah Phiyega, Assistant General Manager, Transnet. In the 2000/2001 year TRANSNET will go further with this partnership and erect containers at the Flagship sites of the Mpumelelo Self Help Project in Rethabiseng, Bronkhorstspruit and the Bhambanana Flagship Programme and Azalea Flagship Programme in Kwa-Zulu Natal.
South Africa has the second fastest growing epidemic in the world with an estimated 1600 new infections occurring daily. The 1998 annual antenatal HIV sero-prevalence survey estimates that 22,0 percent of South African women were HIV positive. Projections in South Africa are that the epidemic will plateau at an antenatal sero-prevalence level of 30 - 38%, at which stage 26% of adults and 18 to 19% of the total population will be HIV positive. It should be realized that although the epidemic will reach a plateau, the social implications of the epidemic will still be felt for many years and provision should be made for the generation after the epidemic.
Before the onset of HIV/AIDS, societies in the developing world absorbed orphans into the extended family and communities at a rate of just over 2,5 percent of the child population. Today, as a consequence of AIDS, 11 percent of Ugandan children are orphans, 9 percent in Zambia and 7 percent in Zimbabwe. This scenario is likely to be repeated in South Africa.
The reality is that South Africa is now faced with:
Taking the above conditions and predictions into consideration it is critical that:
In order to inform policy and the development of programmes a qualitative investigation was done of poor people's perceptions of death and dying in seven peri-urban and urban communities in and around Pietermaritzburg. The main issues that arose from the research were:
The Women in Partnership Against HIV/Aids was launched on 8 March 1999. The first leg of this project covered five provinces (North West, Mpumalanga, Northern Cape, Eastern Cape and Western Cape). There was significant movement towards forging a dynamic partnership which includes the participation of national and provincial government departments, organized labour, women's movements and organizations, the disabled sector, older persons, youth and the religious sector.
The second leg of the campaign was from 11 - 16 May 1999 and covered the remaining three provinces. The major goal was to engage local communities towards ensuring that sustainable programmes aimed at combating HIV/Aids are firmly rooted in the workplace and community.
During a consultative workshop held on 9 and 10 November 1999 with 82 representatives from government departments and non-governmental organizations, a National Strategic Framework (NSF) for Children Infected and Affected by HIV/Aids was developed. The framework will be the impetus for the development and implementation of approaches that effectively capacitate and mobilize children, families and communities to combat many of the effects of the HIV/AIDS pandemic and will ensure that children who are affected by HIV/AIDS have access to integrated services that address their basic needs for food, shelter, education, health care, family or alternative care, and protection from abuse and maltreatment.
This Framework complements the National Integrated Plan for Children Infected with and Affected by HIV / AIDS which has been developed as a result of the approval by Cabinet at its meeting on 24 November 1999. The National Integrated Plan is a concerted effort between the Departments of Health, Welfare and Education and consists of four programmes, namely:
The Minister for Welfare was part of a delegation of 26 who visited Uganda during August 1999. The main objectives of the visit were to learn from Uganda's experience in responding to HIV/AIDS and build partnership with Ugandan colleagues for longer-term collaboration.
The delegation learnt that openness, humility, political commitment, trust, respect and personal/individual engagement are the key elements in the response to HIV/AIDS. The two countries agreed to collaborate, which will include capacity building, research, mother-to-child transmission, youth programmes, community mobilization and vaccine development.
Personnel from the Department also had the opportunity to visit Rwanda, Uganda and to attend the 11th International Conference on HIV/AIDS in Zambia and to explore programmes regarding children infected and affected by HIV/Aids.
The group recommended the following for South Africa's response to the epidemic:
The Department of Welfare took the initiative to facilitate the development of a National Drug Master Plan that was approved by Cabinet during September 1998. Emphasis will be placed on the following issues in the implementation of the National Drug Master Plan:
It is planned to appoint members to serve on the Central Drug Authority by the end of March 2000. The Department of Welfare as an interim arrangement will provide a Secretariat for the Central Drug Authority.
In November 1999, as part of its efforts to combat substance abuse, the Department of Welfare facilitated a national drug prevention summit for the development of a national strategy. A draft national drug prevention strategy, targeting the youth was developed and is in the process of being finalised. It is envisaged to start implementing the inter-sectoral strategy under the auspices of the Central Drug Authority, during the second half of 2000.
The Department of Welfare also took the initiative to start a process of developing social welfare action plans for the welfare sector in line with the National Drug Master Plan. Once the Central Drug Authority approves the action plans, the implementation and monitoring thereof will be initiated.
In terms of improving treatment and rehabilitation services and facilities in under served areas in all nine provinces, the Minister for Welfare, Population and Development, together with SANCA signed an agreement with the United Nations Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention. This project, worth R6 000 000 is in the process of being implemented and has the potential, not only to improve treatment and rehabilitation facilities but contribute to more effective service delivery in areas being neglected and under served.
As part of its efforts to address substance abuse in the Department of Welfare, in partnership with the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the Institute for Health Training and Development (IHTD) embarked upon a project for the prevention of substance abuse in the workplace. A manual and other material were developed which could be of value to the small business entrepreneur in dealing with substance abuse in the workplace, master trainers were trained and the concept was piloted in three provinces. The challenge now is to replicate this approach in other provinces.
In recognition of the unique needs of the youth today, the Department of Welfare has strengthened relations not only with the National Youth Commission, but also with other relevant stakeholders. This has resulted in the formation of more focused clusters by departments around areas of concern of young South Africans, which will be the driving force on implementation of programmes for youth.
The Department of Health in partnership with the Departments of Education and Welfare developed the policy guidelines on 'Health Promoting in Schools'. This will direct schools, communities and service providers to create schools as sectors for youth development. The crucial areas of focus of these guidelines are:
The National Crime Prevention Strategy identified violence prevention in schools as a major focus area. The Department of Welfare, as part of the Safety and Security Cluster of the National Youth Commission, has participated in identifying welfare initiatives for piloting in the Presidential Urban Renewal areas.
Due to the transformation of the Chief Directorate: Developmental Social Welfare Services, the focus on Disability was limited. The activities undertaken are outlined below.
1. The major part of work was on setting the relationship between the Development Fund for Disabled People (now the Thabo Mbeki Development Trust for Disabled People) and the Department, for the management of the R20m allocated from the Poverty Alleviation Funds.
| Province | Amount |
| Northern Province | R 807 000 |
| Northern Cape | R 880 000 |
| Eastern Cape | R 1 034 000 |
| Mpumalanga | R 842 000 |
| Gauteng | R 1 338 000 |
| Western Cape | R 479 000 |
| North West | R 1 015 000 |
| Kwa-Zulu Natal | R 652 000 |
| Free State | R 851 000 |
A contract was entered into in June 1999 thereafter the first trench of R8m was transferred to the Development Fund. To date a total amount of R8 376 000 is allocated for economic empowerment projects countrywide.
The allocation per province is as follows:
| Name Of Project/Organization | Amount |
| South African Federation for Mental Health | R 500 000 |
| Employment Equity Act Code | R 263 000 |
| Kagiso Trust television series | R 250 000 |
Other projects of national scope are:
The second trench will be allocated to more rural communities and projects aimed at transforming protective workshops.
1. The Department was represented at the Assembly of Rehabilitation International held in London during September 1999. Attendance at the event highlighted the direction of international service providers in disability and recommendations made in this regard will be incorporated into the plans of the Department.
2. A successful two-day workshop was held on 19 - 20 November 1999 with the South African Federal Council on Disability (SAFCD). The outcome of the workshop was:
- A clear understanding of what the disability sector expects from the Department,
- Strengthened working relationship with the sector and
- Commitment to participate in the development of minimum standards for service delivery.
3. The Department was represented at the launch of the SAFCD and the TMDTDP, which were held during the commemoration of the International Day for Disabled Persons on 3 - 5 December 1999.
In accordance with its mandate, the National Population Unit, in partnership with key departments and institutions in the private sector, has formulated a series of detailed project plans aimed at addressing the identified priorities in a purposeful manner during the next operational year. These priorities are linked to the ten social welfare priorities that the Minister for Welfare, Population and Development published after his discussions with a wide range of stakeholders in the social welfare and population and development fields in October 1999.
During the past year, close collaboration has been established with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and other international donor agencies, which provide technical and financial support to government institutions in order to enhance their policy-making and planning capacity in the field of population and development. This assistance is critical in order to facilitate the implementation of the Population Policy at national and provincial levels.
On a national level liaison with and capacity building of the media to report on population and development, formed the basis of informing the public about population and development concerns. An international media workshop was conducted in collaboration with the UNFPA and Media Communications. Ten South African journalists formed part of the group of thirty participants from Africa countries.
The State of the World Population Report was launched during September at a media conference and raised interest regarding the same report being developed for South Africa.
The Year of Six Billion was commemorated with a seminar and exhibition for Parliamentarians at Parliament. The Portfolio Committee for Welfare and Population Development hosted the event in collaboration with the NPU.
The year 1999 marked five years since the international community, including South Africa, collectively developed and agreed to implement the programme of action of the Cairo International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD-PA). The ICPD-PA formed the basis for the ethos and the thrusts of South Africa's Population Policy.
The following is a list of high-level meetings at which South Africa participated since the beginning of 1999.
At the Third African Population Conference held in Durban in December 1999, the National Population Unit managed to facilitate the promotion of collaboration on population issues on the continent in a manner that defined South Africa's role in population and development in Africa more accurately. More than 700 participants attended the conference.
Follow-up activities from the conference for South Africa include:
Further research will be undertaken after a few years to fully evaluate the success of the programme, whereby the research finding obtained during 1999 will be compared with the further research findings.
The Population Policy for South Africa mandates the National Population Unit (NPU) of the Department of Welfare to engage in adolescent reproductive health and rights. The Policy promotes the view that youth should be helped to control their own lives. In a study it was found that adolescents' decisions about sexuality and fertility are directed by prevailing social norms and values. These norms and values are embedded in a large number of social, economic, cultural, psychological, interpersonal and developmental factors that have been found to influence reproductive health. It is essential that programmes and plans to address reproductive health needs of adolescents be based on sound information that includes adolescents' comprehension of the subject. Thus, assessing their level of knowledge with respect to reproductive health is an important step in enhancing and increasing their reproductive health and rights.
Strategic preparations for implementing the Population Policy for South Africa culminated in a national stakeholder workshop in November 1999, where negotiations were based on the strategic focus areas outlined according to priority population concerns contained in the Population Policy. These focus areas will be addressed during 2000 - 2003 and include the following: