PROVINCE EHLANZENI NKANGALA GERT SIBANDE GET IN TOUCH Son Joy Building, 18 Jones street, 22 Corner Beatty & 102 Corner Industrial & WITH Riverside City of Mbombela, Hofmeyer Street Wedgewood Ave. Government Boulevard, 1200 eMalahleni Ermelo US Riverside Park 1035 2350 City of Mbombela, 1200 SPEECH 2021/22 POBY MEC FLICOR SOCIAL DEY AVNELOPD MENT BUDGET LINDIWE NTSHALINTSHALI DELIVERED ON THURSDAY, 10 JUNE 2021 AT THE MPUMALANGA PROVINCIAL LEGISLATURE DEPQ BUDGET VOTE Website: www.dsdmpu.gov.za The Department of Social Development | 2021/22 Policy and Budget Speech | Vote 12 1 2 Mpumalanga Department of Social Development 2021/22 POLICY AND BUDGET SPEECH Vote 12 Tabled by: Lindiwe Ntshalintshali MEC for Social Development Date: Thursday, 10 June 2021 Venue: Mpumalanga Legislature The Department of Social Development | 2021/22 Policy and Budget Speech | Vote 12 3 VOTE 12 2021/22 POLICY AND BUDGET SPEECH Department of Social Development tabled at the Mpumalanga Provincial Legislature on Thursday 10 June 2021 by the MEC for Social Development Ms L.L Ntshalintshali Honourable Speaker Ms MC Masilela Honourable Premier Ms RM Mtshweni-Tsipane Honourable Deputy Speaker Mr J J. Skosana Honourable Chief Whip FV Mlambo Members of the Executive Council Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee Honourable Members of the Provincial Legislature Acting Director General Mr P Nyoni Head of Department Mr SM Mtsweni, Management of the Department of Social Development and all its employees All Heads of Different Government Departments Trade Union Movements Present Here Today The Youth of Our Province National Development Agency (NDA) The South Africa Social Security Agency (SASSA) Members of the Media and Esteemed Ladies and gentlemen GOOD AFTERNOON 4 The Department of Social Development | 2021/22 Policy and Budget Speech | Vote 12 1. Madam Speaker, our indulgence and President Oliver Reginald Tambo come to mind engagements takes place just three months’ after when he said: “The children of any nation are the launch of the celebration of one of our own, its future. A country, a movement, a person our struggle icon uMama Charlotte Makgomo that does not value its youth and children Maxeke under the theme; “The Year of Charlotte does not deserve its future”. Therefore, our Maxeke; Promoting Human Rights in the age of conviction is that, if we are to succeed in dealing COVID 19”. As the Department, we take queue with the challenges facing young people, more from her many achievements and dedication effort should be directed to the needs, the growth into the struggle for the liberation of Africans in and development of young people. general and women in particular. 6. Madam Speaker, allow me to raise a serious 2. We are certain and convinced that her spirit concern about a question that was raised and continues to guide us as we perform our daily continued to raise by the honourable member tasks of pushing back the frontiers of poverty, of the opposition party. The question is about unemployment and inequality. We dare not fail. psychiatric patience. I replied and I continue to reply as I hereby do, honourable members, 3. Honourable Members, let me hasten to indicate psychiatric patients are not a responsibility of to this house that uMama Charlotte Maxeke the department, however, the department deals becomes the second woman to be memorialized with the provision of psychosocial services which after the celebration of uMama Albertina Sisulu may sound similar to the member, but it is not. in 2018. Madam Speaker, I intentionally lift these Therefore, honourable speaker, I hope that my two women of our struggle not forgetting the role responds closes the matter and the member others played, but to highlight the significance of is freely advised to refer the matter to the following in their footsteps. responsible department. 4. In the same vein, Madam Speaker, our 7. Madam, Speaker I have, since my appointment engagement takes place just 6 days before the in the Department of Social Development taken celebration of Youth Day, popularly known as a task to ensure that our Department provides June 16 with its painful history. We continue to and execute its mandate, we have met and note with dismay, the continued loss of jobs and engaged with the Senior Management right unabated increase in the unemployment rate at the beginning of our appointment, as part of especially that of young people of our country. forging a productive and comprehensive action I am sure that we can all agree that our youth plan for the Department. In the main since then remain agents of change therefore, urgent actions we have hit the ground running. We have visited must be taken to ensure they are in the forefront all our facilities such as the, Restorative Centres of development. across the province in full aim to ensure that we 5. Madam Speaker and Honourable Members, are delivering the on our mandate by ensuring when I talk about youth and the challenges facing that we are aware of the challenges and needs them, the words of our former ANC President, required for these centres to function optimally The Department of Social Development | 2021/22 Policy and Budget Speech | Vote 12 5 8. Arising from the above Madam Speaker, the 11. Madam Speaker, I will be failing in my speech departments activities have not been well in the if, by commission or omission I will leave out past as indicated by the auditor general findings the fact that the Department will continue to on our financial expenditure. The role of the champion “An Inclusive and Responsive department is to provide social protection to the Social Protection System”, which is most vulnerable in our society. The integrity and designed to give effect to Chapter 11 of the the dignity of the department needs to be restored National Development Plan (NDP) 2030. in order to fulfil the mandate as stipulated by the The Department is committed to eradicating constitution of South African under section 27 poverty, reducing inequality in communities recognising social security as a basic right. We and improving collaboration and partnerships have to ensure that all stakeholders are working with civil society and the private sector. towards the sustainability and efficiency of the Department. 12. Taking cognizance of the issues involved above, the Department has developed a 9. Madam Speaker and Honourable Members, of this Strategic Plan 2020-2025 and the Annual House, let me take this opportunity and express Performance Plan 2020/21 that reflects the my sincerest appreciation of the work done by important interventions in providing integrated our social workers, the social auxiliary workers social development services and programmes. and community development practitioners and indeed all the workers of my department for their 13. These documents seek to realize the selfless commitment despite the threats posed department’s VISION of being: “A caring and by this COVID 19 pandemic. These Heroes self-reliant society” through the promotion and Heroines have continued selflessly even and protection of quality and sustainable when they themselves were losing their own but livelihoods of the poor, the vulnerable and continued to carry the torch of hope in the interest the marginalized groups in order to deal with of our people. social ills such as Gender-Based Violence, poverty, child abuse, substance abuse, food 10. Madam Speaker, the 6th Administration insecurity, crime, HIV/AIDS and other hostile of the current government adopted 7 key social disorders. national priorities. The Department of Social Development was then tasked with the POVERTY AND SOCIAL RELIEF OF responsibility to lead and coordinate Priority DISTRESS 4 which is “Consolidating the Social Wage through Reliable and Quality Basic 14. As I have stated from the beginning, Madam Services” for the new (Medium Term Speaker, the COVID 19 pandemic has thrown Strategic Framework) MTSF 2019-2024 families and individuals into complete disarray whilst at the same time still contributing to as large numbers of our people have lost their most of the other priorities. jobs and thus got exposed to the worst and harshest realities of life. At the same time, a lot 6 The Department of Social Development | 2021/22 Policy and Budget Speech | Vote 12 of families and individuals are going through a sanitary support to a total of 180 000 girl great deal of distress as they lose more of children through this programme. However, their loved ones to this pandemic. The result with the extended closure of schools as a is that more and more families, individuals and result of the hard lockdown, the department children in particular are driven into a state of was only able to provide this service to a distress. total of 115 919 beneficiaries. We are acutely aware Honourable members, that this can 15. Honourable members will recall that the never be sufficient, however the Department department had, in the previous financial year will continue providing this service without fail. planned to provide social relief of distress to a total of 8 000 individual beneficiaries. 16. Furthermore, the Department is planning However, due to the COVID 19, the demand to provide dignity sanitary towels to a total for Social Relief of distress increased of 61 948 beneficiaries which we hope it dramatically to a point that the department will make a difference whilst looking at what ended up providing this relief to 86 364 contribution will our grants and our social beneficiaries. Of course, Madam Speaker, partners can make. it would be important at this stage to take this opportunity and express our gratitude SOCIAL GRANTS to all those of our people who threw in their lot behind the support to alleviate poverty 17. Madam Speaker, let me take this opportunity amongst our communities.