Issued by: Department of Social Development
6 March 2001
Madam Speaker,
Honourable members,
INTRODUCTION: BUILDING UNITY IN ACTION FOR CHANGE
Thank you for opportunity to address the National Assembly on the occasion of the second reading of the "Advisory Board on Social Development Bill."
The Bill is another milestone in our effort to institutionalise the partnership between civil society and government. This partnership is focused on eradicating poverty and ensuring people-centred sustainable development in our country. With respect to the social development sector, the bill has two key objectives. Firstly, to create an authentic partnership between civil society and government in policy development, service delivery and programme monitoring. Secondly, to ensure that this partnership enhances co-operative governance by working with local government to address social development needs.
The bill is evidence of our commitment to eradicating the painful common legacy of our past and building unity in action for change.
In outlining to parliament government’s programme of action for 2001, President Mbeki stated: " The success of the rural development strategy and the urban renewal programme will also depend on the extent to which the people can be mobilised so that they become active participants in the process targeted at the upliftment of their own communities."
The partnership between civil society and government in the social development sector is not an end in itself. This bill seeks to create a permanent mechanism for social mobilisation and constituency building in poverty eradication and welfare service provision.
AN EFFORT AT ENTRENCHING PARTICIPATION AND ENSURING ACCOUNTABILITY
Madam Speaker, the bill is fundamentally about entrenching participation and ensuring accountability by creating a representative board to advise the Minister and act as a consultative forum on social policy. It is, however, noteworthy that the bill assigns a proactive role to the board and requires clear lines of communication with the parliamentary committees on social development in the National Assembly and in the National Council of Provinces.
Today, as the national assembly debates the Advisory Board on Social Development Bill, we should take pride in the fact that the principles of participation and accountability informed the entire process of formulating the bill. In this regard, I would like to acknowledge the early work done by the National Interim Consultative Committee on Developmental Social Services (NICC). In particular, I would like to single out Bishop Seoka, Dr Berto Lombard, Ms Mendelle Mendlow, Mr M Moshoeshoe and Dr Visanthi Sewpaul for their commitment to the work of the NICC.
I would also like to thank the Portfolio committee on Social Development in the National Assembly and the organisations that made presentations during the public hearings on the bill.
THE IMPORTANCE OF A SINGLE MINDED FOCUS ON THE POOR
Throughout the process of drafting and amending the bill, we have all kept uppermost in our minds our constituents - the poor, marginalised and vulnerable people in our society. This single mindedness and our efforts at consensus building are reflected in the widespread support that exists for the bill.
I would to appeal to the members of civil society that are appointed to the Advisory Board on Social Development to emulate this single mindedness. You will be appointed to represent our constituents - the poor, marginalised and vulnerable people in our society - not particular sectors of the social development practice.
THE OBJECTIVES OF THE ADVISORY BOARD
The objectives of the board are, in the first instance, to advise the Minister on:
1. Measures to promote the transformation and continuous improvement of social development services.
2. Measures to promote social development initiatives.
3. Measures to include local government in the provision of welfare services.
4. Measures to enhance the provision of integrated service delivery at local government level.
5. Proposals for new legislative frameworks for the social development sector and amendments to existing legislation. Finally, on
6. The entrenching of local and international good practices in social development services.
In the second instance, the objectives of the Board are to function as a consultative forum for the Minister which will discuss matters that will include:
1. Ways of improving the quality of provincial and national social development activities.
2. The introduction of new policy regimes in the governmental and non-governmental spheres of social development work.
3. Ways of facilitating the consultation between stakeholders and government on the implementation of social development programmes.
4. Ways of ensuring the effective review and evaluation of social development policies, programmes, and legislation as informed by the needs and priorities of society. And finally,
5. Ways of collating inputs from the social development sector for international forums and protocols.
As is the case with other statutory bodies, the board will be required to adhere to and deliver on the objectives set out in the legislation.
The Minister for Social Development will be responsible for ensuring that the Board has sufficient resources to effectively perform its duties.
THE VITALITY OF THE PARTNERSHIP WITH CIVIL SOCIETY
Madam Speaker, as I stated at the beginning of my address, the Advisory Board on Social Development Bill is another milestone in institutionalising the partnership between NGO’s and government. However, determining the vitality of this partnership requires that we examine three other sets of issues: (1) the existence of an enabling legislative environment and the funding of NGO’s (2) the establishment of targets, standards and indicators; and (3) the government’s expectation of NGO’s in the context of constructive regionalism.
LEGISLATIVE FRAMEWORKS AND FUNDING ISSUES
Significant progress has been made in reforming the policy and legislative environment in which non-profit organisations operate.
There is now also better co-ordination between the initiatives of various government departments. The Non-profit Organisations (NPO) Act is in its second year of implementation. To date more than 4800 "new organisations" - organisations not previously in receipt of fund-raising authority - have applied for registration. The Taxation Laws Amendment Act of 2000 makes it easier for a wider range of NGO’s to benefit from preferential tax status and NPO registration is included in the qualifying criteria for both tax and national lottery benefits.
The increasing number of application for registration in terms of the NPO Act seems to vindicate the current policy of self-regulation and optional registration. There are, however, a number of outstanding issues that still need to be addressed. These include: improving the marketing of the registration process, the provision of increased incentives for registered organisations, programmes to enable community based organisations to meet NPO reporting requirements, the generation of better information on the NGO sector and securing the funding of non-profit causes.
With respect to both the funding of NGO’s and the promotion of a dialogue between civil society and government, the experiences of the National Development Agency (NDA) will be instructive. Much rides on it success. The success of the poverty eradication programme particularly in the rural areas will depend to a large extent on the active participation and involvement of traditional leaders, churches and local authorities.
TARGETS, STANDARDS AND INDICATORS TO MEASURE SOCIAL PROGRESS
Another key issue is the targets and norms with which we measure social progress. At the international level, efforts are underway to codify the principles of good practice in social policy. This has to be complemented by the active participation of civil society in the development of indicators and standards that are appropriate to the South African context. The government, as part of its commitment to an outcomes-based and cost-sensitive budgeting regime, is setting standards and costing the norms in the delivery of social services. In the coming years, these various efforts will converge and constitute a vital component of any form of anti-poverty pact.
CONSTRUCTIVE REGIONALISM AND THE EXPECTATIONS OF GOVERNMENT
Madam Speaker, I am convinced that in order to be successful; the focus of all these efforts has to be broader than South Africa. The government is committed to constructive regionalism and supports efforts to increase the involvement of NGO’s in social development issues in the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC). The signing of a memorandum of understanding between SADC and the SADC Council of NGO’s will be an important milestone in this effort.
The basic twin expectations of government are that NGO’s will, firstly, continue to act as monitors of the public good and safeguard the interests of the disadvantaged sections of society. This performance of this social watch role requires both transparency and accountability on the part of NGO’s. The government’s second expectation is that NGO’s will assist in expanding access to social and economic services that create jobs and eradicate poverty among the poorest of the poor. This requires cost effective and sustainable service delivery.
CONCLUSION
I would like to conclude my comments on the Advisory Board on Social Development Bill by thanking all the stakeholders, partners, and parliamentary committees who continue to work with my Ministry in eradicating poverty and ensuring people-centred sustainable development.
Special mention among these should be to the religious groups especially the Churches, [Methodist, Catholics, Presbyterians and Independent Churches] and more importantly the Muslim community. I assure you of the government’s commitment to an on-going dialogue and partnership with civil society.
I thank you.