Department of Social Development crippled by managerial crises

Note to Editors: This is an extract based on a speech delivered by DA Shadow Deputy Minister of Social Development, Mike Waters MP, during today's debate on the Social Development budget vote in Parliament.

Highlights:

• 6 out of the 8 top managements positions within the Department are still vacant
• Funding has been cut to the sub-programmes for Substance Abuse by 18%, Youth by 29%, Older Persons by 33%
• The Department reported and admitted that their current policy on the training of Social Workers is a failure and that it will take decades to reach their 66,000 trained Social Workers target.

Speaker, Helen Suzman once said, "I stand for simple justice, equal opportunity and human rights. The indispensable elements in a democratic society - and well worth fighting for."

Today, the DA's vision of an Open Opportunity for All encapsulates the values of justice, equal opportunity and human rights.

The DA vision is one where people are given equal opportunities in order to better themselves and climb the ladder of prosperity and become whatever they choose to and not remain dependent on the State for their survival. The Department of Social Development has an important role to play in this regard. 

Many South Africans need state assistance and have to interact with the Department and the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) on a monthly basis when they receive their grants. SASSA has embarked on a massive re-registration campaign in order to ensure that all those that should be receiving grants are, and that those that are receiving grants fraudulently are removed from the system. 

By-and-large the results have been positive and the DA supports this venture despite some hiccups. I want to take this opportunity to thank SASSA's staff for responding to all the queries that I have sent through.

I will not talk about the issuing of the R10 billion tender to CPS for the administration of the grants as that is now before High Court, however, once the legal process is complete I will be re-submitting my questions about this controversial tender.

Another concern for the DA is that the regulations relating to the application for - and payment of - social assistance are not being properly implemented. 

These regulations place conditions on caregivers to ensure that all children in receipt of a grant attend school and should provide the DG of the Department proof of this within one month of receiving the grant and every six months thereafter.

This has not been done.

The DG should have been receiving millions of school reports every six months. These conditions should not be seen as punitive but rather as a positive condition in ensuring that all our children attend school. 

We do welcome the recent MOU signed between the Departments of Basic Education and Social Development where the data bases of the two departments will be compared in order to identify any children that are not attending school. If used correctly this information could be pivotal in ensuring all children attend school and do not drop out. 

Speaker the question we should all be asking is why are so many people dependent on grants?

The answer is simple, because of the failed economic policies of this ANC government. There is a direct correlation between our country's current unemployment crisis and the large amount of people dependent on grants. 

It is concerning that 16 million people are indeed dependent of social grants. We do recognise that many families' only income is from social grants which do help to alleviate poverty, but they do not eradicate poverty.

I want to assure South Africans that the DA will not take away anyone's pension or child support grant, or any other grant for that matter, when we become the government. This is a lie being spread by a desperate ANC, who clearly do not know how to solve the unemployment crisis facing our country.

In fact, last year the DA-governed Western Cape made provisions for nearly 1,300 people with disabilities to stay in state-funded residential facilities, and a further 23,222 people received non-residential support services. The province has also allocated 6,000 spaces in department-funded residential facilities for older persons and nearly 17,000 in community-based programmes. Furthermore, 65,000 subsidised spaces in Early Childhood Development (ECD) programmes for children 0-5 years of age, made provisions for 75,000 children in partial care facilities and created 298 work opportunities for unemployed matriculants.

A DA government will ensure that we have a growing economy which will free millions from the shackles of poverty and allow people to move from welfare to work. The DA feels the pain of the millions that are unemployed, and we are determined to better their future. 

In fact, speaker only two days ago the latest unemployment figures were released, indicating an increase to 25.2%. 

When discouraged work-seekers are taken into account the broad unemployment rate has increased to a staggering 38% or 7 million South Africans. This means that there are 1.2 million more South Africans unemployed today than there were on the day Jacob Zuma became president.

Fortunately the DA-run Western Cape bucked the negative trend by creating 8,000 jobs during the same period. 

The DA has a plan, and the ANC clearly does not.

Yes, we need a safety net for those who cannot look after themselves, however we also need a growing economy with job opportunities so people can achieve their potential, the DA's 8% Growth Plan and specifically our proposed Youth Wage Subsidy will help to achieve this.

Speaker, The Department is facing a management crisis, when the budget was presented to us, 7 out of the 8 top managements positions were vacant. We have heard that the position of the DG was finally filled last week and the DA would like to congratulate Mr Pakade, and we wish him well in his new position.

Out of the seven Deputy-Director General positions, only one is filled. Minister, you are the accountable officer for your department and it is your responsibility and duty to ensure that these critical positions are filled and that your department fulfils its mandate, which it clearly is not the case. 

There is a managerial crisis and it is having a direct impact on the functioning of your Department. 

Some examples where the Department is failing in its duties are:

• The Child Protection Register, which, is a complete and utter disaster - not to mention an embarrassment to our country. Why is it, Minister, that last year a dismal 438 names appeared on the Register but as of April this year, the Register had declined to a pathetic 305 names. How can someone simply be removed from the Child Protection Register, and how do you explain a 30% decline?
• The Central Drug Authority is another example where the Department failed in its duty. The Department failed to ensure that Parliament was given ample time to interview and appoint the new CDA board. As a result, from September 2012 to April 2013 we had no board. We still do not have a National Drug Master Plan, and given the destruction that substance abuse is causing throughout our communities it boggles the mind that you, Minister, have allowed this to happen. It is a disgrace.
• Other areas of concern are around the slashing of funding to core issues. Can the Minister explain why funding has been cut to the sub-programmes for Substance Abuse by 18%, Youth by 29%, Older Persons by 33%? I do not accept the explanation given by officials that these cuts are due to efficiency savings through non-core functions such as advertising, venues and travel. I do not accept that these sub-programmes had that amount of fat in them in the first place. You have gone for the soft targets, Minister.
• Another area of extreme concern for the DA is that of Social Workers. We all now agree that we need 66,000 social workers to implement the Children's Act alone. The Department reported and admitted that their current policy on the training of Social Workers is a failure and that it will take decades to reach the target. I am pleased to say that the committee recognises this and has in its report called on the Minister to review her policy and report back to the committee on how she intends to achieve the 66,000 target. 

Speaker, if the Minister and her department really wanted to cut the fat and wasteful expenditure she should have looked no further, than the National Development Agency (NDA). Everything the NDA does, from ECD to food programmes, the Department already does. Yes, the DA wants poor people to benefit from such programmes but why do we need an additional organisation that is top heavy and delivers very little compared to the amount of money they receive, when the Department is already doing these programmes? 

Let me elaborate the NDA receives a budget of R171.7 million.

The 125 employees are paid on average R519,027 per annum, the total salary bill is a staggering R64,8 million or 38% of the total budget. If we are all honest with ourselves, the NDA is merely an employment agency.

An additional 26% or R43,871,542 goes towards goods and services, which includes a 600% increase for the boards expenses.

Payment for capital assets is R3.2 million, which includes a 1000% increase for furniture and fixtures. But this is not considered as fat in the budget. 

It is clear that the Department thinking is, ‘let's rather cut funding to the older persons and the youth as furniture is much more important'. 

Honourable Members, once you have paid the fat-cat salaries, board expenses and bought new furniture we are left with 35% or R59,7 million for actual projects.

Only one in every three Rand goes towards a project.

The NDA should be closed down with immediate effect and the Department can simply continue to deliver what the NDA is not. 

Speaker, if we are to stand for simple justice, equal opportunity and human rights, the Minister and her department need to do some deep soul searching.

I thank you.

Issued by the DA, May 8 2013

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