GCIS MEDIA BRIEFINGS
MINISTER OF SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
18 September 2001
Documents handed out Minister’s Media Briefing, 18 September 2001 [See Appendix below]
Questions by the media and replies from the Minister, Dr Zola Skweyiya.
(Q) Minister, you say that you are going to reassess the value of existing grants in the context or parameters of a comprehensive social security system. Are you saying that you are waiting for the November Report from the Commission of Inquiry. Does this mean that you will weigh this up against the basic income grant?
(A) To a certain extent I think that this is an issue that has been asked for quite a long time by a number of people in the country. The complaint, which is a justified complaint as far as I am concerned, is that children do not cease to be children when they reach the age of seven. This is the most trying time for young children as they are essentially beginning to go to school. This influences their performance at school. Most failures in Matric amongst African children are influenced by lack of adequate nutrition. We have been grappling with this issue. It has been raised within the government and the Department is trying to ensure that it is addressed as soon as possible. It is among the issues that are being looked into by the Commission of Inquiry. This is one the very central matters that the government should get involved in. This is one of the reasons that prompted me to make a personal investigation of the plight of children in our country. I am convinced that the question that has been asked is justified and it needs answering from all of us, the national, provincial and local governments.
(Q) Are you saying that you want better child care grants for a longer period?
(A) It would be preferable.
(Q) Have you taken this to Cabinet yet, and up to what level has it got and how satisfied are you with the rate at which this is developing?
(A) The Ministers in the Social Sector have discussed this issue and recognise that it needs attention. We have also informally discussed it with the Treasury. I do not think that Treasury is not concerned with this issue. However, there are budgetary constraints. There are no decisions that have been taken yet.
(Q) I am referring to Briefing document where you say that there is an increase in fraud cases. There has been a process of re-registration of people who qualify for these grants. Do you know why these incidents are still occurring in your system?
(A) Well, I think that the main aim of re-registration was to quell and fight against fraud in general. This has been successful to a great extent but it has not necessarily done so in all provinces. Fraud is still very rife in the Eastern Cape. This is because the Eastern Cape has not outsourced the distribution of pensions. This does not mean, however, that there are no other irregularities in other provinces. Fraud is still very rife but the Ministry is getting on top of it. What is most encouraging is that most organizations are collaborating to work with the government to eradicate fraud. The Ministry will succeed as time goes on.
(Q) Is your Department aware of the fact that children are made to wait for months before they can even obtain their birth certificates which is necessary for their social grant appications to be approved. Meanwhile they are starving. Do you have any intergovernmental strategy that you follow to make the process smoother for mothers who are solely dependent upon these grants?
(A) Sure, I am aware. This issue has been raised a number of times. More importantly the programme on Special Assignment in the area of Mount Frere emphasized this issue. I went there and I sent a team which is still working over there, which is composed of ourselves (Social Development in the Eastern Cape), the Department of Health and the Department of Home Affairs. I think that there has been a lot of co-operation. We however want to extend that co-operation so far as the whole Eastern Cape is concerned. We have asked Dr Buthelezi (Minister of Home Affairs) to spread this operation to other provinces, specifically in the rural areas where there are problems. I raised an issue last year that the Department of Social Services and Home Affairs do not have sufficient infrastructure in the rural areas. They depend mostly, especially in the former Bantustans, on the Department of Justice for almost everything including typewriters, offices, stationery, etc. The situation is very bad in the rural areas of KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape. Unfortunately, that is where poverty rules and that is where we, with the Department of Home Affairs, are putting more attention to try to meet the demands. The Home Affairs Department is very under-resourced. This affects the Department of Social Development and Welfare in the provinces because people are not able to get the grants until they have received their birth certificates and identity documents. This is an issue that I think Home Affairs should be putting as a priority programmes in priority provinces, otherwise we will be punishing the poorest of the poor.
(Q) In the Briefing document you say that there has been an increase in litigation incidences in social security services. Can we get an indication of how many are these around the country.
(A) The cases have increased in the past but they are also beginning to decrease. There was a tendency in the past that the provincial Department would defend cases that that had been instituted by persons who demanded what was rightly theirs. The provincial Department was not co-operative and insisted on resolving disputes through the courts. This led to many cases being lost by provincial departments as the Constitution does not allow this. The Ministry has been encouraging the provinces not to retreat to courts but to resolve these issues as fast as possible and settle the claims that have been made and pay people what is rightly theirs. We have agreed that this should be the case. There are, however, other cases that are still pending in the Eastern Cape. It is regrettable that we, as the State, had contested those cases, morally and politically. I personally, and the ANC, would not have done so because those people are the poorest of the poor. Our duty as servants of the people is that we ought to accede to their demands. All Executive members are servants of the people, and they should do what people demand, specifically when it is a legal or a constitutional right. Social security is a constitutional right which cannot be questioned. Most of the times when the State contests these cases, it is wrong. It is unfortunate that decisions to litigate are made by public servants in the provinces and they rush to the courts and lose. Personally, I would have ordered costs to be awarded against those departments that have not delivered social security services.
(Q) How many grant recipients have been struck off the register and how many have been re-registered?
(A) The Director General answered this question saying: We are dependent on the provinces to give us an indication of a number of cases for the purposes of auditing these figures. But the majority of the cases are in the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal. The last count we had from the Eastern Cape indicated that there were about 700 individual cases. These cases relate to a range of issues, but the majority appears to be the limitation on the arrears payment.
(Q) You talk about new comprehensive child care legislation coming up which will look at the issue of foster care. What will this legislation provide that is not currently allowed in the country?
(A) If you talk to people who are dealing with children, there are many limitations to the legislation at present which do not reflect the spirit and content of the Constitution. The issue of foster care does not reflect what ought to be in the legislation of South Africa seven years after the advent of democracy. There are other issues relating to adoption that need to be addressed as well. All the pieces of legislation that we have inherited from the past are being consolidated into a comprehensive Child Care Act. The Act will deal with all issues concerning children. This was mooted by the Law Commission in the past six years.
(Q) How far is the National Strategy against Sexual Exploitation of Children and do you support the Register on Pedophiles?
(A) The Minister is currently looking at the Strategy Against the Sexual Exploitation of Children and it is one of the issues that have been raised by the UN and the OAU. I personally support a Register on Pedophiles, but it is something that we have not discussed within government. I think I will fully support it. I do not think that pedophiles should be left at large to threaten the lives of our children, their happiness and their future.
(Q) You have been on these nation-wide visits to communities with vulnerable and orphaned children (due to Aids and other circumstances). You have heard what it is they need and their concerns. You also say that you have been inspired by the way community volunteers and organizations have gathered to help these children. But the fact is that these community organizations need help financially and resource-wise. After these visits what are we going to see from the Department, the Social Services cluster or the government that will be meaningful?
(A) I did mention that these organizations, NGOs and CBOs have been complaining for a very long time that the contributions we have been giving to them are not enough. We are raising this issue with the aim that this be taken into consideration in the next budget. We also wanted to encompass organizations that are not registered so that we are able to assist them. Our limitations are mostly influenced by the budget, but we should know the activities that they are involved in so that we can assist them in whatever manner. There are some organizations in East London that are run by private individuals out of their own pockets. Those organizations really need assistance. We are now working towards assisting them. Some of them are run by churches. We hope that we will have enough budget next year to help them. Child welfare does not need to be treated as a secondary matter.
(Q) What is the Department doing about the need for food parcels especially in the rural areas? Caregivers in the rural areas have complained that they need food parcels. This is relevant in other areas as well, such as the Northern Province (Tzaneen).
(A) There is a need for the Ministry to work with the provinces so as to assist the organizations, including caregivers. However, there is a lack of capacity in these organizations, i.e. their inability to write a proposal and meet the necessary bureaucratic demands that are set by the government. Because of this inability they are unable to access funds that exist within government. It is our duty, both individually and collectively, to assist so that we should meet those demands, but also to make those bureaucratic processes simpler and more accessible to the majority of our people.
Appendix: PARLIAMENTARY BRIEFING BY DR ZOLA SKWEYIYA, MINISTER FOR SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT, 18TH SEPTEMBER 2001
In 1999 we focused on strengthening our relationships with civil society organizations and developing a strategic framework to respond to the social crisis facing our society.
In 2000/2001 our emphasis was on poverty, social security and issues affecting older people.
In 2001/2002 we are systematically addressing issues affecting children within the context of the national government’s priorities.
On June 1st this year we celebrated International Children’s Day by launching South Africa’s 2001 Report on the State of the Nation’s Children. This report detailed both our achievements and challenges in implementing the National Programme of Action for Children. I will use today’s briefing to focus on the work the Ministry of Social Development has been doing with respect to orphaned and vulnerable children. Of special concern is the situation and special needs of children in child-headed households.
The issue of orphaned and vulnerable children cuts across the strategic priorities identified for the 2001 – 2002 period by the Social Sector Cluster of Minister. It speaks to issues of poverty, HIV/Aids, food security and nutrition, improvements in social security, budgeting issues, litigation and partnerships.
Provincial Visits Focused on Orphaned and Vulnerable Children
Starting in late August this year I have been conducting two day visits to the provinces focused on examining the living conditions of vulnerable children and improving their chances of survival. These visits have been focused on the nodes that government has identified for the Integrated Sustainable Rural Development Programme and the Urban Renewal Programme. These visits have been conducted in conjunction with provincial departments, LoveLife and UNICEF. We have so far visited Gauteng, Eastern Cape and Western Cape Provinces.
Our focus has been on community projects that improve the living conditions and survival chances of vulnerable and orphaned children. We have also been holding imbizos to hear directly from children about their concerns. Together with our partners we are engaging community structures and all role players to mobilize care and support for vulnerable children.
We have visited a number of community based projects and I urge the media to visit some of these projects. You will be inspired by the way community volunteers have organized themselves to provide support for orphaned and vulnerable children.
Some of the projects that we have visited include the Tafelsig Rehabilitation Center, The Beautiful Gate Ministry in Crossroads, the Khanya Family Centre in Katlehong, the Khutsong Home Based Care project in Carletonville, the Orlando Children’s Home, the Salem Baby Care Centre and Khayalathemba in East London, and the House of Resurrection Haven in Port Elizabeth.
Food Security and Nutrition
Throughout the visits a common concern expressed by both volunteers and people living with HIV/Aids has been the difficulty in obtaining nutritional food. Food security and nutrition is one of the priorities of the social sector cluster of Minister’s for the 2001 – 2002 period and the issue is being addressed in an integrated manner. We are also making immediate responses to emergency situations. In the case of Mount Frere District in the Eastern Cape, the Departments of Social Development, Health and Home Affairs have addressed the inefficiencies that were worsening chronic malnutrition. These inefficiencies included the provision of birth certificates and identity documents to enable access to social assistance. They also included the referral and follow-up of poverty stricken families to ensure that they received food parcels and accessible poverty relief funds.
Initiatives to Provide Care and Support
For parents who are living with Aids an additional concern has been securing the future care of their children. Together with the Department of Health we are providing support through our Home and Community Based Care Programme. The support provided through this programme does not match the growing needs of orphaned children and the provision of more institutional care cannot be ruled out as an option in the future.
There needs to be more recognition and support for community initiatives. The experience and expertise of retired teachers, nurses and other professional should be utilitized more effectively. This is already being done in a number of projects ha I have visited.
The issue of foster care is being addressed in the comprehensive child care legislation that is being prepared by the Law Commission. A draft of this legislation will be ready for consideration by November this year.
Although it is appropriate to focus on the challenging reality that HIV/Aids poses for our country, we should not lose sight of the good work that is being done by all sectors of society. In July this year, working together with nine South African universities, we launched HIV/Aids capacity building course for government planners. Through this training programme, we will equip 1 200 government officials at all levels with the tools to plan for the prevention and reduction of the impact of the epidemic.
In August this year, we started disseminating together with Save the Children a newly published directory of services provided by 900 different organizations in our country for children affected and infected by HIV/Aids. We are committed to ensuring that this resource is translated into all official languages.
As a preliminary step in its partnership with Faith Based Organizations on this issue, the Department of Social Development is mapping the care and support activities of Faith Based Organizations. These commendable initiatives within communities are being supplemented by initiatives at the workplace.
In the mining industry, both the trade unions and the mining houses are devoting substantial resources to the provision of care and support for mine workers and their families. A key element in enhancing the provision of care and support for vulnerable children is improving our social security system.
Improvements in Social Security
In July this year we completed our project to development national norms and standards for social security. This comprehensive set of norms and standards will provide the foundation on which the Department of Social Development will be able to manage and measure the level of service delivery across all provinces. Successful implementation of norms and standards will ensure that all beneficiaries receive equitable services regardless of demographic or socio-economic differences between provinces.
The norms and standards address the following key issues:
The different grant administration procedures used by individual provinces;
The increase in litigation that has occurred as a result of delays in approval of applications;
The poor conditions under which cash payments are made and the long time beneficiaries spend standing in queues;
The lack of enforcement of sanctions and penalties in the event of breach by payment contractors;
The increase in fraud cases due to lack of administrative controls; and finally
The non-implementation of the Batho Pele principles of service delivery.
The national social security norms and standards that we have developed will support the broad policy recommendations being developed by the Committee of Inquiry into a Comprehensive Social Security System. This committee will present its report to Cabinet in November this year.
As part of our on-going review of social security regulations, we have amended Regulation 11 of the Social Assistance Act, so that the accrual date of benefits is from the date of application and the three-month limitation on back pay is discarded. We have been working with the Legal Resources Centres and Black Sash to ensure that the regulations do not unnecessarily impede service delivery.
Across all our programs, be they poverty relief, HIV/Aids, welfare services or social security; it is becoming clear that partnerships are a critical success factor. We are therefore enhancing the capacity within the Ministry to engage in stakeholder management. This will encompass the business sector, organized labour, faith based organizations, NGO’s, CBO’s, professional organizations and the international community.
There are, however, a number of budgeting issues that impact upon our efforts to address the life circumstances of orphaned and vulnerable children.
Budgeting Issues
Under-budgeting for social security
As part of the medium term expenditure framework, we are examining the issue of the adequacy of the current budgeting that is being done for social security. In order to inform this process, the Department of Social Development is conducting an audit of the infrastructure in the provinces that is used to deliver social security.
There are substantial backlogs in the finalization of grant applications in some provinces and applications are not being processed because of a shortage of funds. This is particularly the case with the Child Support Grant where the take-up rate has outstripped the original projections. Child Support Grants are now being paid out to about 1,3 million children every month. This is up from 60,000 two years ago thanks to the assistance we have received from civil society organizations, especially faith based organizations.
This issue of under-budgeting has been discussed in Cabinet and is being addressed as a matter of priority.
The value of existing grants Because of fiscal constraints, the increases in the value of existing grants for the 2001/2002 period were modest and the real value of the grants has been eroded over the years. The impact of HIV/AIDS is, however, placing an additional economic burden on caregivers, mainly grandmothers (pensioners). Because of this, consideration has to be given to increasing the value of the following grants – the old age pension, the child support grant, the disability grant and the foster care grant - above the rate of inflation. Decisions on these increases, however, can only be made in the context of government’s policy decisions on the parameters of a comprehensive social security system.
The ability of social relief allocations to respond to HIV/AIDS
National and provincial departments receive numerous requests to provide urgent assistance to affected families. Requests for assistance include food, basic household items and burial costs. These urgent requests for immediate assistance often cannot be met because of the limited we in which departments define their social relief programmes. The Social Assistance Act provides for the provision of social relief, but overall budget allocations for social relief are too small.
Anticipated increases in the demand for foster care grants Because of Aids and other re-emerging diseases, grandparents are increasingly being required to care for orphaned grandchildren. An increase in the numbers of people applying for foster care grants is therefore being factored into our calculations.
Funding for institutional care Although it is preferable to care for children infected and affected by HIV/AIDS in a family or community setting, we have to contend with the reality that a proportion of children cannot be cared for in these settings. This is either because of the reluctance of families or communities, or because of a lack of resources. A variable proportion of children at any given time will need to be cared for in institutions and we have to budget accordingly. The number of requests for assistance that we receive from NGO’s and CBO’s providing such services is increasing.
Subsidies to welfare organizations providing essential services
Pressures on the social security budget have impacted negatively on subsidies to welfare organizations providing essential services in the areas of child protection, youth, older persons, persons with disabilities and abuse of women. There have been no increases in subsidies for the past three years and this is causing concern.
All of these budget issues have been discussed at the national and provincial levels of government and consensus is being reached. The resolution of these budget issues and the improvements we are making to our social security system will go a long way to reducing litigation in the area of social security.
Amendment of the Regulations for the Social Assistance Act
The amendment of the regulations for the Social Assistance Act has also addressed some of the reasons for the increased incidence of litigation in social security. The amendments to the regulations for the Social Assistance Act have been gazetted. The most significant of the amendments include:
The appointment of Disability Assessment Panels in rural areas where applicants do not have access to District Surgeons;
Abolition of the assets test for social grants;
Amendment of the accrual date of grants from date of approval to date of application, that is, the removal of regulation 11 from the existing regulations;
Simplification of the procedures for regular review of beneficiaries to lessen the burden on beneficiaries; and
Clarifying the distinction between temporary and permanent disability.
Through these policy changes, budget reprioritization efforts and improvements in service delivery the rights of children to survival, protection, development and participation are being mainstreamed.
Further Steps to Promote and Protect the Rights of Children
We continue to take steps to create an enabling environment for the promotion and protection of the rights of children. Some of these further steps include the establishment of a National Strategy on Child Abuse and Neglect, and an Action Plan for Combating the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children. Measures to address the vulnerability of the girl child to gender-based violence and rape, and the introduction of laws against child labour are part of these efforts.
These issues are all fundamental to the caring society that we are building together. Together with a campaign of moral regeneration they are markers of the type of society we are striving to build at the beginning of the African Century.