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Population Policy for South Africa

A GREEN PAPER FOR PUBLIC DISCUSSION

Ministry for Welfare and Population Development

This document is also available in text format This Green Paper is also available in paper format in Afrikaans, Southern Sotho and Zulu.

Published by the Ministry for Welfare and Population Development Pretoria, 20 April 1995

CONTENTS

• Introduction
• Basic information
• Policy context

1. Resources, consumption and production patterns and the environment
2. Population goals for South Africa
3. Development planning and population trends
4. Gender equality
5. Informing the public about development issues and population trends
6. Institutional arrangements
7. Participation in civil society

INTRODUCTION

What are the questions asked in this Green Paper?

This Green Paper on Population Policy is intended to open up debate about how population issues relate to development issues in South Africa. The Ministry of Welfare and Population Development would like to stimulate debate on this issue and to get feedback from members of the public and politicians on how to approach population issues in South Africa.

This is especially important for two reasons. Firstly, the Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) is a population statement, reflecting national priorities and needs. It does not, however, spell out certain issues in relation to population trends, and it is therefore necessary to consider whether these gaps need to be filled. Secondly, the International Conference on Population and Development (ICDP), in which South Africa participated, produced a Programme of Action, which South Africa has committed itself to consider in relation to its own policies and programmes.

Many of the concerns of this Programme of Action are already dealt with in the RDP, as well as in the policies and programmes of specific government ministries. This Green Paper aims to clarify which additional issues South Africa needs policy and programmes on, as well as how these should be linked into both the RDP and specific programmes of individual ministries, including the activities of the existing population units in the Department of Welfare.

Thus the Green Paper is concerned with two broad questions:

1. What are the gaps in the RDP? Should the RDP take account of population trends, and particularly how development activities impact on population trends, and how population trends impact on development, and if so, what are the specific concerns of the RDP?
2. If population trends are a concern, what institutional structures are necessary to ensure that they are taken into account, or are there already adequate structures? What should the role of the existing population units in the Department of Welfare be?

The Green Paper explores these questions by presenting many of the key areas which are known to impact, directly or indirectly, on population trends, and by considering various approaches to dealing with these.

The process of consultation

The Green Paper is being widely advertised in the media, and public workshops are being held in all provinces. In addition, members of the public are invited to send in written submissions, as individuals or as organisations. The Ministry of Welfare and Population Development will hold a public hearing, and all submissions should indicate whether a public presentation is desired.

The Green Paper aims to open up debate; it does not cover all possible issues, nor does it give all possible approaches to those which are covered. It asks questions and presents some possible approaches to these questions simply in order to stimulate debate and in the hope that all stakeholders, interest groups and concerned citizens will submit their responses, views and policy proposals to the Ministry of Welfare and Population Development to guide it on how best to approach population issues. These responses do not need to be limited by the questions and approaches presented in the Green Paper.

The intention is to use the findings of this consultative process to clarify how to approach population issues within a White Paper on the subject, both within the ministry, which will present policy and strategies in relation to the population units in the Department of Welfare, as well as within a future RDP White Paper, unless the process itself presents alternative suggestions.

Given that this Green Paper is exploring the major components of population change in relation to development, it raises questions which relate to the work of all ministries and government departments involved in development. IT DOES NOT QUESTION THE POLICIES AND PROGRAMMES OF THESE MINISTRIES, but rather considers whether they should be framed within an overarching development policy which integrates population concerns.

The Ministry of Welfare and Population Development has responsibility for initiating debate on this matter, not only in relation to its own functions, but in relation to the RDP and hence to all government functions. The final decisions will therefore be made on the basis of input from all ministries and departments, as well as from the public.

How to read and respond to this Green Paper

Each section of the paper gives some background information and then asks a few questions. There are many possible answers to these questions, but in order to stimulate ideas, some possible answers are presented. Usually these answers do not agree with each other. There are other possible answers, as there are other questions which could be asked. Once you have read each section, you could consider what your own opinion on the question is and write this down. So your submission on the Green Paper could be done in the form of your answers to each or some of the questions in it, but you can also write about other related issues which you think should be taken into account. If you think certain key issues are not considered in this Green Paper, please make the content of your concerns the focus of your submission. You can also send in any research findings or other documentation which you think are relevant.

THE CLOSING DATE FOR SUBMISSIONS IS 31 JULY 1995

Submissions should be sent to:

Green Paper
The Ministry of Welfare and Population Development
Private Bag 901
(Pretmed Building)
Pretoria 0001
Or fax to: (012) 322 3702

Or send by e-mail to: submit@polity.org.za

The following details should be provided:

Name
Postal address
Telephone and fax numbers
Province
Whether you would like to present your views at a public hearing.

If you need help in putting your submission into writing, please write, fax or e-mail to "Green Paper Writing", or phone Schalk Human at (012) 320 1080 ext 268 in order to receive support in doing this.

If you would like to attend a provincial workshop to give feedback on the Green Paper, please contact Schalk Human at the above phone, fax or e-mail numbers or address.

BASIC INFORMATION

It is very difficult to present population-related data on South Africa because there is no efficient method of data collection yet. Many figures do not include previous 'homelands'; other figures are the result of research methods which were not accurate, such as with the last census. The following figures may, therefore, not be accurate. They are nevertheless presented in order to give the reader a feel for the present situation in South Africa, knowing that the details may be incorrect. One of the major challenges for all policy and planning processes is an effective census in 1996, and the setting up of mechanisms for effective data collection in relation to all development sectors.

Estimated population size, October 1994 40 648 576 Estimated population size, year 1995 43 474 047 Projected population size, year 20102 57 509 675 Projected population size, year 20252 70 083 345 Rate of natural increase2 2,3% 'Doubling time' in years at current rate2 30 years Total fertility rate2 4.1 Birth rate1 23,4 per 1 000 Death rate1 9,4 per 1 000 Natural increase1 14 per 1 000 Percent of population age younger than 152 37,1% Percent of population 65 years and older2 4,5% Life expectancy2 All 66 years Males 63 years Females 68 years Infant mortality rate per thousand live births2 46 Maternal mortality 1992 (World Bank) 0,83 (Department of Health) 0,52 Teenage pregnancy3 330 per 1000 women under age 19 Contraceptive prevalence rate2 Any method 53,0% Modern Methods 51,7% Traditional methods 1,3% Distance from nearest medical service1 Total Less than 1km 29,3% 1km to less than 5 km 35,7% 5 km or more 35,0% Urban Less than 1km 43,6% 1km to less than 5km 43,2% 5km or more 13,3% Non-urban Less than 1km 15,6% 1km to less than 5km 28,5% 5km or more 55,9% Percent of population urban1 48,3% Percent of population non-urban1 51,7% Malnutrition3 Estimated population suffering from malnutrition 2 300 000 Estimated percent of malnourished population between 6 months and 5 years old 40% Estimated percent of malnourished population who are pregnancy and lactating women 8% Illiteracy 30% Rural areas 50% Urban areas 38% Metropolitan areas 27% Education1 Percent of population with no formal education 24,6% Percent of population with education levels from Grade 1 - Std. 5 34,5% Percent of population with education levels from Stds. 6 - 10 36,1% Percent of population with diploma / certificate 3,1% Percent of population with degree 1,5% Other / unspecified 0,3% Persons aged 5 to 24 attending school/college/ university / technikon All 13 096 448 Males 6 692 842 Females 6 403 606 Urban 5 397 229 Male 2 815 033 Female 2 582 196 Non-urban 7 699 219 Male 3 877 809 Female 3 821 410 Persons aged 16 to 24 who have not yet obtained Std 10 and are not attending school Urban 873 940 Male 439 503 Female 434 437 Non-urban 1 245 658 Male 548 734 Female 696 924 Employment1 Economically active population: persons aged 15 years and older who are employed in both formal and informal sector or who are unemployed All 14 297 048 Male 7 975 157 Female 6 321 891 Not economically active population: persons aged 15 years and older but who are not employed or unemployed persons, eg. students and retired persons All 11 397 207 Male 4 428 286 Female 6 968 920 Unemployed, as a percentage of the economically active population All 32,6% Male 26,2% Female 40,6% Urban unemployed, as a percentage of the urban economically active population All 27,8% Male 24,4% Female 32,4% Non-urban unemployed, as a percentage of the non-urban economically active population All 40,1% Male 29,2% Female 52,7% Total number of workers involved in the informal sector 1 574 584 Housing: Type of dwelling1 House / part of house 66,7% Flat / townhouse / semi-detached house 6,7% Traditional dwelling 14,1% Shacks 8,7% Hostel / room 3,5% Other 0,4% Main source of domestic water1 Running water in dwelling or on site 66,4% Tanker / water pumped to public tap (free or payment required) 12,8% Borehole / rainwater tank 8,5% Flowing water / stream 7,1% Dam / pool / stagnant water 1,2% Well 0,6% Protected / unprotected spring 2,6% Other 0,8% Rural water supply4 Access to tap water in house 13% Communal water taps 55% No formal access to water 32% Main source of energy1 For cooking Electricity from public supply 49,7% Electricity from generator / battery / solar energy 0,2% Gas 4,8% Paraffin 17,2% Wood 22,8% Coal 5,1% Other 0,1% For heating Electricity form public supply 48,5% Electricity from generator / battery / solar energy 0,2% Gas 1,8% Paraffin 13,3% Wood 28,3% Coal 7,6% Other 0,3% For lighting Electricity from public supply 55,3% Electricity from generator / battery / solar energy 0,6% Gas 1,1% Paraffin 15,5% Candles 27,2% Other 0,3% Sanitation facilities1 Flush toilet 53,1% Chemical toilet 1,8% Pit latrine 32,0% Bucket toilet 4,3% No facility 8,9% Refuse disposal1 Removed by local authority 53,4% Communal refuse dump 4,5% Own refuse dump 28,5% None 13,7% Telecommunications1 Telephone in dwelling 31,1% Communal telephone / access to phone at neighbour 20,4% Access to telephone at shop 12,9% None 35,6% Gross National Product (Current value)(Market Prices) 1991 R300 565 000 000 1992 R331 818 000 000 1993 R373 613 000 000 1994 R422 192 000 000 Distribution of Gross National Product, 1994, among Primary (agriculture, mining & related industries) 13,4% Secondary (production & manufacturing) 30,8% Tertiary (service related industries) 55,8% Growth Rate of Gross National Product 1991 -0.1 1992 -2.2 1993 1.1 1994 2.3 Personal Available Income (Current value) 1994 R6 570 per capita per year Personal Savings Rate (as percentage of Personal Disposable Income) 1991 1.9% 1992 4.1% 1993 4.8% 1994 3.6%

1. Republic of South Africa: Central Statistical Service, October Household Survey 1994. Statistical release p.317
2. These figures were supplied by the Centre for Population Studies, University of Pretoria. They are 1995 estimates.
3. Republic of South Africa, National Social Development Report, Prepared for the World Summit on Social Development, Copenhagen, Denmark, 1995.
4. Beijing Conference Report: 1994 Country Report on the Status of South African Women, Minister Without Portfolio in the Office of the President, Cape Town, 1994.
5. The expanded definition of 'unemployed' is being used here, which means that a person does not need to have taken definite steps to obtain work or to have undertaken self-employment but must have had the desire to work, in order to be defined as unemployed.
6. Personal communication: Mr. Johan Prinsloo, South African Reserve Bank.

Explanation of concepts used in this paper

ICPD refers to the International Conference on Population and Development held in Cairo in September 1994. It produced a Programme of Action which includes proposals for national and international action. The South African government participated in the process of drawing up this programme and joined 181 countries in consensus on it.

Population or demographic trends refer to changes in relation to three variables: fertility, mortality and migration, as well as how these affect the population size, composition and distribution.

Fertility refers to births. When the document refers to the fertility rate, it is referring to the rate (how quickly or how slowly) at which children are being born over a given period of time. The number of children born to a woman during her life-time is known as the total fertility rate which is often used as a rough indicator of the average number of children a 'typical' mother has.

Mortality refers to deaths. The mortality rate refers to the rate at which people die during a given period. Thus the child or infant mortality rate refers to the death rate in a specific age group during a specific year. The death rate is also measured indirectly as the average expected lifetime (life expectancy at birth).

Migration refers to the movement of people when they change their residence. Internal migration refers to people who move and settle and make new homes within the country, in order to find work or to be with relatives or to flee from violence or for some other reason. International migration refers to people who move their homes into (immigration) or out of (emigration) South Africa.

The overall change in the size of the population in a geographic area, due to the three variables fertility, mortality, and migration, is referred to as population growth. The population growth rate is normally expressed as the percentage increase in the population in a given geographic area during a specific year. Due to the fact that both internal and international migration is not easily measured, migration is sometimes left out of the figures. In such cases, the balance between births and deaths is measured in the form of the rate of natural increase, expressed as a rate per 1000 or percent during a specific time period, usually one year (as in the figure given above).

Many things affect the population variables and therefore the population growth rate. Education, for example, makes a big impact. In the words of the ICPD (Chapter 11.3):

The relationship between education and demographic and social changes is one of interdependence. There is a close and complex relationship among education, marriage age, fertility, mortality, mobility and activity. The increase in the education of women and girls contributes to greater empowerment of women, to a postponement of the age of marriage and to a reduction in the size of families. When mothers are better educated, their children's survival rate tends to increase. Broader access to education is also a factor in internal migration and the composition of the working population.

In other words, certain aspects of development influence the fertility rate. Likewise the mortality rate is affected by things like access to health services and education, levels of nutrition, water and sanitation, levels of income as well as violence and car accidents. Poor people, on average, die younger than rich people; people who do manual labour die younger than others. Likewise migration is usually determined by access to jobs or education, or, in the case of refugees, it is the result of war.

A population policy refers to a policy which puts forward the government's intentions in relation to the fertility, mortality and migrancy rates in the context of achieving sustainable growth and sustainable development, that is, how a government views these trends and what, if anything, it intends to do about them.

IEC refers to information, education and communication.

POLICY CONTEXT

International context

At the international level, the Programme of Action of the ICDP spells out the mechanisms which are needed to address population-related problems in order to achieve global sustainability and to improve quality of life.

The ICPD Programme reflects a move away from the focus on lowering population numbers, and fertility rates in particular, as a goal in itself (and particularly on the provision of contraception as a means of achieving that goal), toward the goal of improving quality of life. This is a very significant shift, since in the past the international perspective often blamed poverty on overpopulation. It argued for a direct relationship between economic growth and population growth, saying that if economic growth did not keep up with population growth, there would be poverty. Today, as reflected in the ICPD Programme of Action, it is recognised that poverty is the result of a wide range of interacting factors, including the nature of the economy, North-South economic relations, production and consumption patterns, women's position in society, levels of education, the extent of equity in the distribution of resources, and the extent of access to health services. Economic growth is essential, but, because of the inequitable distribution of wealth, does not, in itself, ensure an end to poverty.

In the past, many countries which believed that their poverty was a result of 'overpopulation', responded by providing contraception. International experience has shown, however, that contraception alone does not reduce population numbers, because people's decisions about children are based on a very wide range of socio-economic factors. Access to contraception is not enough to make men or women use it; other aspects of their lives influence their choices about contraception. These include their educational status, their levels of economic independence, their cultural framework, women's overall position in society and the extent to which they are able to make decisions about their lives, their futures and their fertility, the degree of peace and stability in a society, and people's access to quality health care.

This understanding is reflected in the ICPD Programme of Action. In addition, the programme has moved away from the very limited approach to population issues, which focuses only on fertility to assert that both mortality (death) and migration patterns are key factors in society, and must also be taken into account if a society wishes to change its population trends.

The ICPD Programme of Action recognises that the interaction of a very wide range of factors results in an improvement in quality of life and that population trends are only one of these. It argues for the integration of population trends into development planning, monitoring and evaluation, that is, that population trends must be taken into consideration in the process of development planning in all sectors, and development programmes must be evaluated, amongst other things, on the basis of their impact on population trends.

Thus poverty is not caused by population trends alone - they are one factor amongst many that influence poverty and these need to be tackled in an integrated way.

This thinking should form the basis for consideration of population policy in South Africa if South Africa is to keep in line with the international community.

This Green Paper asks questions about most issues covered in the ICPD Programme of Action. There are, however, some issues which are already built into the interim Constitution or the policies of the Government of National Unity, so these are not raised here.

An example is that the ICPD Programme of Action emphasizes the importance of human rights, and that all programmes must be implemented within a framework of internationally accepted human rights. These are already embodied in South Africa's interim Constitution. Of course this does not mean that all activities and programmes in South Africa are consistent with the interim Constitution or human rights, but a start has been made. The question of human rights should nevertheless be considered throughout this Green Paper. It is assumed here that the concept of development is itself an expression of human rights, in that it acknowledges people's rights, on the one hand to the basic necessities of life, and on the other, to taking control over their lives in relation to decision-making about their bodies, and their lives at household, community, provincial and national levels.

Outline of South Africa's pre-election policy and programmes

The Population Development Programme (PDP) was set up in 1984 with the goal of lowering the population growth rate. It was argued that this was necessary because South Africa would run out of resources, specifically water, if the population continued to grow at its present rate. It was also argued that the population growth rate needed to be equal to or lower than the economic growth rate in order for the economy to keep pace with the needs of the people. The PDP acted through an Interdepartmental Committee comprising director-generals. The responsibility of this committee was to ensure that those factors which impact on population trends were given priority. Of particular concern were education, primary health care, economic development, 'manpower' training and housing. Thus socio-economic development, specifically in these areas, was considered the means of achieving a lowering in the population growth rate.

However, the PDP did not work as a national development programme, because it did not fit in with the political priorities of the government of the time. Thus priority was not given to education or housing or any of the other concerns listed above, and the Chief Directorate Population Development (described below) did not have the authority to intervene in the programmes of other government departments. In short, there was no viable policy or mechanism for the effective coordination of an overall development strategy.

In addition to the Interdepartmental Committee, the Chief Directorate Population Development, (which is now in the Department of Welfare), was set up in order to support the work of the Committee. In addition, the Chief Directorate was responsible for setting up population units in all provinces, comprising about twelve people per unit. The aim of the population units was to support the PDP development effort by doing community development, such as helping people in communities to organise themselves, to identify their needs and to access resources to meet their needs, and by building women's participation. They did not, however, have the support of other government departments in their playing a coordinating role, as had been intended. Nor did they have any funds to support their role of promoting development. As a result, in the late 1980s, these units shifted their priorities away from the community development role towards creating awareness about population trends amongst politicians, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), community organisations, students and the public. This is called IEC: information, education and communication. These units identified a number of target groups, including youth, women, and the religious sector, and made information on population trends available to these groups. The primary message in this information was the idea of the small family. The units promoted the idea that 'small families have better futures'. They also promoted the view that people are poor because there are not enough resources in the country for everyone, and that therefore, people should have smaller families. The overall goal of the work of these units was to decrease the population growth rate by getting people to choose to have fewer children.

Each of the 'homelands' also had a population unit, often with a larger staff, in some cases as many as twenty. Not all of these were located in Departments of Health or Welfare; some were in the office of the Chief Minister or in a planning division. Most of these were doing community development work. Some also did IEC programmes.

Now that all population units are being integrated under the provincial governments, a single focus for the population units, if they are to continue, must be identified. It has already been agreed that all community development should be done by the community development units within the Department of Welfare, and in many provinces, personnel in population units doing community development work are being incorporated into community development sections.

One of the reasons for this Green Paper is to decide whether IEC and other work done by the population units is the best way to deal with population questions; the Department of Welfare is reassessing the activities of the population units in the light of the new government, the interim Constitution and the RDP.

Post-election National Context: the Reconstruction and Development Programme

The RDP reflects the national development priorities of the Government of National Unity. These are very similar to those initially identified, but not achieved, by the PDP. They are also similar to those in the ICPD Programme of Action. This raises the question of whether the RDP as it stands is an adequate population statement for South Africa. This Green Paper recognises that the RDP is a short-term strategy. But it is presumed that a long term development strategy with the same broad objectives will continue. The following table sets out the areas of concern of these three programmes.

TABULATED COMPARISON OF FOCAL AREAS OF THREE PROGRAMMES:

The Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP), The International Conference on Population and Development Programme of Action on Population and Development (ICPD), and The Population Development Programme (PDP).

------------------------------------------------------------------- RDP ICPD PROGRAMME PDP ------------------------------------------------------------------- Education Education Education ------------------------------------------------------------------- Human resources Human resource 'Manpower' training development; development Training ------------------------------------------------------------------- Building the Sustained economic Economic economy; growth & development Job creation; sustainable Transport; Energy; development;  Telecommunications Change production & consumption patterns ------------------------------------------------------------------- Housing; Urbanisation; Housing; Land reform; Internal & Rural development; Rural development; international Urban development; Urban development migration; (migration) Rural development;  Urban development ------------------------------------------------------------------- Health care; Health Primary health care Nutrition; Water & sanitation ------------------------------------------------------------------- Social security; Social services Welfare Social services ------------------------------------------------------------------- Democratising the Human rights; Building capacity state & society; Gender equality & of women, youth & Human rights; empowerment of others to make Tackling racial & women; choices affecting gender inequality; Role of NGOs population growth Involvement of and socio-economic civil society in development; the RDP Tackling gender inequality; Role of stake- holders -------------------------------------------------------------------- Environment Environment Environment -------------------------------------------------------------------- Information for Data collection, Information for performance analysis and evaluation and assessment & dissemination; monitoring and for monitoring & for Research integrating integrated population into planning; development Research planning; Research --------------------------------------------------------------------

As can be seen from the table, these three programmes have very similar focuses. The PDP has been overtaken by the RDP, in that promoting development in these terrains is now facilitated through the RDP. The ICDP Programme of Action is also an integrated development programme, again focusing on certain key areas, as indicated in the table. The only factor that marks it as specifically different from the RDP, is its emphasis on the incorporation of an awareness of demographic or population trends, and the impact of these on quality of life. As a result, it gives more emphasis than the RDP does to issues such as migration, its impact, and the need for policies and plans to address it. This is not a difference in goals, nor necessarily a difference in policy; the RDP simply does not spell out the mechanisms for dealing with demographic trends in an explicit manner.

As indicated in the contents of the table, under both the PDP and the ICPD, mortality, migrancy and fertility trends result from a wide range of socio-economic conditions. Thus a wide range of activities, both direct and indirect, need to be undertaken to impact on these population trends, none of which is sufficient in itself to achieve the goal of sustainable development. For example, a lowering of the fertility rate results from an interaction between many factors, including improvements in women's social and economic status, improvements in employment levels, improvements in basic infrastructure such as water supply, sanitation, energy sources and housing, improvements in literacy, education and training levels, and improvements in access to quality primary health care including reproductive health care, (contraception, abortion, infertility services, information and counselling, prevention and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases and AIDS, prevention of cancers, and so on).

Thus a wide range of development activities need to be undertaken to impact on the fertility rate. The same applies to the mortality rate. To some extent this is also the case with migrancy, given that much migrancy results from the absence of basic services and economic options in the place of origin.

The RDP includes all of these development needs in its priorities in order to achieve sustainable development and to improve the quality of life of the population, now and in the future. The meeting of these needs also leads to reductions in the fertility and mortality rates, and could lead to changes in migration patterns.

Questions for the future

The question is whether South Africa should have an explicit policy to take account of population trends (ie. fertility, mortality and migration), in relation to each area of development and to monitor overall development in terms of its impact on these trends. This is not, at the moment, spelt out in the RDP. Also, should South Africa aim to change its population trends? The RDP already aims to lower mortality rates. What about fertility? What about migrancy?

Thus the ICPD Programme of Action, in its Chapter 6 called 'Population Growth and Structure', sets its goals as 'the improvement of quality of life'. It does, however, pay specific attention to those factors which make a more direct impact on fertility and mortality, such as the age at which young people have children, suggesting the need for education and programmes which encourage children to stay at school, for example. It also suggests that priority be given to lowering the infant, child and maternal mortality rates since high rates of infant, child and maternal mortality are factors associated with high fertility.

Fertility, mortality and migrancy rates are not meaningful on their own. They are important in relation to the availability of resources, now and in the future, to meet the needs of the population for a good quality of life. Population trends are also significant for economic development. For example, in countries with a high population growth rate, a relatively large percentage of the population is young. This has important financial implications for providing the necessary services and facilities to the youth in order to develop them into productive citizens. It means that more money must go to providing services and facilities and that less is available for investment in the economy to stimulate economic growth and development. The question of sustained economic growth must therefore also be considered in relation to population trends.

In the words of the ICPD Programme of Action, Chapter 3.5:

Development strategies must realistically reflect the short-, medium- and long-term implications of, and consequences for, population dynamics as well as patterns of production and consumption.

Chapter 3.14 reads:

Efforts to slow down population growth, to reduce poverty, to achieve economic progress, to improve environmental protection, and to reduce unsustainable consumption and production patterns are mutually reinforcing.

The goal should be for population trends to be consistent with the achievement of sustainable development. A development and population policy should therefore not only deal with population trends, but with resources, production and consumption patterns and the links between these and the environment. The goal of economic growth, in the context of sustainable development, should also be informed by these factors.

The policies and programmes of different ministries do tackle questions of access to resources, production and consumption patterns and the environment, and the overall objectives are presented in the RDP. Should their impact on population trends, and how population trends influence them be spelt out more clearly within the RDP, in order to show how population trends impact on development, just as is done with regard to economic development in the RDP's first White Paper? Should we have specific activities coordinated across departments, to tackle these population trends, in addition to the overall development programme? Should we have specific activities to tackle consumption patterns given the huge disparity between the consumption patterns of the rich and the poor in South Africa? And, if so, how should they be coordinated?

These are the kinds of questions which are asked in this Green Paper, in order to guide both the Ministry of Welfare and Population Development and the Minister without Portfolio about how to take account of population variables in relation to development.

1. RESOURCES, CONSUMPTION AND PRODUCTION PATTERNS AND THE ENVIRONMENT

Whereas internationally, in the past, the focus was on the impact of population growth on the environment and on poverty, the ICPD Programme of Action reflects a consensus that the real need is to consider the interaction between, and combined impact of, population trends, consumption and production patterns, resources, and the environment, on sustainable development. For example, Chapter 3.25 says:

Demographic factors combined with poverty and lack of access to resources in some areas, and excessive consumption and wasteful production patterns in others, cause or exacerbate problems of environmental degradation and resource depletion and thus inhibit sustainable development.

Population size and movement are not particularly meaningful by themselves. They are only meaningful in relation to a country's access to resources (domestic or global), patterns of production and consumption, and environmental management. Many European countries have a high population density, but the population is not poor because the countries produce enough to meet the populations' needs.

The issue of water in South Africa is a good example of these interactions. Water is in very short supply in South Africa. This is partly because there is little rainfall, but it is also because of bad water management in terms of building and maintaining boreholes, dams and so on, and the inequitable distribution of the water that there is. Most resources are not absolute; access to them depends on levels of technology, and countries can decide how important any resource is and how much money to spend on making it available. So, for example, in the 1995 budget, water supply was allocated more of the budget because the new government wants to make it a priority.

In all countries, rich people consume more than poor people do. Thus the impact of a more affluent section of the population on resources and the environment, even if their numbers are few, may be greater than that of the poorer sections of the population. South Africa is an extreme example of this: while some South Africans, and the industrial sector, use up a lot of South Africa's limited water supply, most South Africans use very little. The recent government decision to charge a higher price for water to those who use most of it, indicates a recognition of the importance of challenging consumption patterns in a context of the need to conserve a resource, in this case water.

Countries can also decide how much money to spend on protecting resources, for example on preventing water and air pollution. They can also develop policy on who bears the cost of this. For example, who pays for pollution: the government, the polluter, or the public? This is where questions of production come in. Production patterns can conserve a resource, but they can also destroy or damage resources with dangerous chemicals, air pollution, or dangerous working conditions amongst other things.

So a government's policy can determine its population's access to resources, but this is also affected by international economic relationships. The value of resources is determined by international markets, and raw materials gain value once they have been used in production, a process known as 'beneficiation'. Thus countries like South Africa could make policies to encourage manufacturing using raw materials, rather than exporting them.

All of these issues impact on the quality of life of the population. They also have a major impact on population trends, just as population trends impact on them.

Sustainable development is possible only if the interactions between consumption and production patterns, resources, and the environment, are systematically managed in order to ensure that improved quality of life does not cause resource depletion and environmental degradation. Each policy and programme put forward in relation to any of these factors should be evaluated in terms of its impact on the others, and on the overall development programme, before it can be agreed upon. This is the key concern of the ICPD Programme of Action. The question of how to tackle these interactions in South Africa remains, however.

Question 1.1

Does South Africa need a mechanism for coordinating its policies and programmes in all departments in relation to their influence and their impact on resource usage, patterns of consumption and production, population trends and environmental management?

Possible approaches to consider:

1. Resource usage, and consumption and production patterns are matters best left to the market. The government should regulate these areas as little as possible. The more constraints on resource usage, consumption or production patterns, the more constraints on economic growth. These issues should not be a matter of policy.

   OR

2. Any policy which considers the impact of population trends on available resources (such as schools, clinics, water, and pensions) must simultaneously consider who consumes most of the country's resources in order to identify where the primary pressure on available resources is coming from. Likewise it ought to consider the environmental impact of resource usage, consumption and production patterns, and population trends. Given the substantial gap between the rich and the poor in South Africa, it is essential that the Government of National Unity be seen to be reallocating resources to the poor in a way which promotes sustainable development. Any policy which addresses population trends should therefore address the question of resource usage, and consumption and production patterns, and how these impact on the environment now and in the future. To achieve this for South Africa as a whole is a national concern and overarching policies should therefore be developed by government as a whole, as part of the RDP and in the long run as part of a national development strategy, before specific programmes are allocated to specific ministries in order to achieve the overarching policy.

   OR

3. Each ministry should make its own policy in relation to resource usage, consumption and production patterns, and environmental management, in relation to its areas of responsibility. Each department's activities will then be implemented in line with these policies. To draw this into a single policy creates unnecessary confusion and bureaucracy.
4. Other ...

2. POPULATION GOALS FOR SOUTH AFRICA

Goals for policy changes and service provision

The ICPD Programme of Action sets quantitative goals for improving those factors which in turn impact on fertility, mortality and migration. Thus it suggests that countries should aim to improve their levels of literacy, primary health care provision and so on. For example, in Chapter 11.6 on education it says:

All countries should .. strive to ensure the complete access to primary school or an equivalent level of education by both girls and boys as quickly a possible, and in any case before the year 2015.

Chapter 7.6 says:

All countries should strive to make accessible through the primary health-care system, reproductive health to all individuals of appropriate ages as soon as possible and no later than the year 2015.

While it is already agreed as part of the RDP that all sectors should set goals and time-frames, it is necessary to consider whether the ICPD Programme of Action should be taken into consideration in order to ensure that South Africa is in line with international thinking.

Related to this is the question of the extent to which those aspects of sectoral development programmes which impact on population trends, should be written into a single policy showing how the overall development programme aims to tackle population trends.

Question 2.1

Should the internationally accepted quantitative goals for sectoral SERVICE provision presented in the ICPD Programme of Action be accepted as a basis for developing goals and time frames for programmes within the relevant sectors in South Africa?

Possible approaches to consider:

1. Yes, South Africa was part of the consensus on the ICPD Programme of Action and must therefore use it as a basis for setting quantitative goals and time frames, in order that its framework for monitoring adheres to international standards but it would be foolish to set goals which are impossible to reach. Thus a balanced approach is necessary.

   OR

2. It is essential that South Africa's goals are specific to its own conditions, resources and opportunities, irrespective of international standards.
3. Other ...

Question 2.2

Should specific aspects of sectoral policies be incorporated into a development policy which integrates population concerns?

Possible approaches to consider:

1. The overall goals of each development sector (such as education, welfare, housing, and trade and industry) are already articulated in the RDP and Presidential Projects and in the policies and programmes of departments. No additional policy is necessary.

   OR

2. We do need a set of national goals agreed upon by the entire government. This is what the RDP does. The sectoral goals which impact on population trends must be specified as part of the overall development goals so that there is a coherent national policy, which is then carried out by separate departments, with coordination between departments where necessary. It is not, however, necessary to spell out in detail the specific sectoral interventions, since these are spelt out within each department.
3. Other ...

Goals for changes in population trends: fertility, mortality and migration

While goals for policy change and service provision have already been discussed, there is also the option of setting overall quality of life goals which are not achieved by specific services such as education or water supply, but from the interaction between them. Such quality of life goals would be a means of measuring the effectiveness of the overall development programme. Some of these goals could be goals for population trends, that is, for fertility, mortality, migrancy and hence population growth rates, since these are internationally accepted as reflecting overall quality of life.

For example, the ICPD Programme of Action in Chapter 8 sets the goal that:

Countries should aim to achieve by 2005 a life expectancy at birth greater than 70 years and by 2015 a life expectancy at birth greater than 75 years.

Goals in relation to mortality

A very comprehensive chapter of the ICPD Programme of Action is devoted to health, morbidity and mortality. Specific quantitative goals are set for lowering infant, child and maternal mortality levels and for improving life expectancy at birth. These mortality levels are internationally considered as very good indicators of overall quality of life.

A series of actions to achieve these objectives for improving health are recommended in the ICPD programme. These actions refer to sectoral development, in this case in the health sector. While the question above explored the extent to which a development policy should spell out sectoral programmes which will impact on population trends, the question remains whether such a development policy should include indicators (with goals and time-frames) which may be the product of the work of specific sectors, or of the interaction of the achievements in a number of sectors. Infant mortality, for example, reflects not only access to health services, but to good nutrition and education for women, amongst other things.

Question 2.3

Should South Africa set goals and time-frames in relation specifically to mortality levels, that is, life expectancy at birth and infant, child and maternal mortality rates?

Possible approaches to consider:

1. If we cannot set goals, what method do you propose to monitor the successes and failures of the development programme?

   OR

2. We need goals but not time-frames. We may debate about time-frames, but having a time-frame does not determine how quickly development can be achieved, because achieving development is the result of amongst other factors, access to human and natural resources, and technology.

   OR

3. We need goals and time-frames in order to monitor progress in meeting the goals over time. The time-frames allow the government to collectively determine whether adequate resources are being directed towards achieving each goal.
4. Other ...

Strategies in relation to internal migrancy

Migrant labour has made a huge impact on South African society as a whole, and the individuals within it. Historically, South Africa has had policies on migrancy which have kept people out of the cities (influx control) as well as controlling movement between cities, especially with regard to women and the unemployed. This has had a major impact on the population profile in different geographical areas. For example, there are more old people and women in rural areas. It has split families apart and interfered with the social fabric and customs which determine when and how people marry and have children. It also undermined existing social systems for training young people about sexuality and preventing pregnancy. Although influx control no longer exists, the government has to consider these historical patterns of migrancy, and work out whether new policies are needed to encourage new patterns, for example by providing housing not only for male migrants but also for their wives; or by promoting economic development in rural areas so that people are not forced to migrate for economic reasons.

Question 2.4

Should South Africa develop specific strategies in order to influence internal migration as part of a national development strategy which integrates population trends, and if so, what should these be?

Possible approaches to consider:

1. Internal migration is an inevitable product of economic opportunities, and the impact of war. Especially given the history of influx control, the Government of National Unity should not seek to influence migration patterns at all.

   OR

2. South Africa faces a crisis of rural underdevelopment which must be explicitly addressed by government by developing rural infrastructure and promoting economic opportunities in rural areas in order to stem the flow of people to urban areas.

   OR

3. Urbanisation is an inevitable process of economic and other development. The government must recognise this and put its major infrastructural and economic development efforts into preparing for and handling the inflow of people to urban areas.

   OR

4. Although there is a shortage of resources, given that a substantial segment of the population is in rural areas, it remains essential to attempt to build economic opportunities and service infrastructures in both rural and urban areas.
5. Other ...

Strategies in relation to international migrancy

Patterns of immigration to South Africa and emigration from South Africa over the past few decades reflect specific social policies. Probably the most problematic issue in relation to emigration from South Africa was the loss of thousands of citizens who opposed apartheid, including those who were avoiding conscription. While many have now returned, many have not, including doctors, lawyers, engineers, accountants, musicians and writers whose skills were built and paid for by this country, and are not available to South Africa in this period of reconstruction. There is a range of policy options open to the government, including insisting that people who cost the government large amounts of money through their education, either work during this time, after their studies, or pay it back. Should the government as a whole legislate such policy, or is this a matter for individual ministries to consider and decide independently?

The increasing numbers of people who arrive in South Africa in the hope of making a living also pose questions for South Africa. In the past, white immigration was encouraged with tax and housing benefits. What should the new policies be? Does South Africa have a responsibility not to attract skilled people away from their home countries?

Question 2.5

Should South Africa develop specific strategies in order to influence international migration as part of a national development strategy which integrates population trends, and if so, what should these be?

Possible approaches to consider

1. International migration must be considered in relation to South Africa's development needs, and the impact of population size and composition on this. Given that South Africa does not have the resources to meet the needs of its own population, it is not appropriate to encourage immigration into South Africa.
2. Immigration into South Africa should be considered under very limited circumstances, particularly in the case of the lack of necessary skills within South Africa. This should, however, be balanced against the option of training people within South Africa.
3. The question of immigration must be dealt with with great sensitivity given that one reason for substantial immigration into South Africa is the impoverishment of Southern African countries in which South Africa played a significant role. Immigration policy must therefore make specific reference to this group of possible immigrants and be developed in collaboration with the affected countries. This issue can also be tackled through foreign policy which considers development and technical assistance from South Africa to improve the economies of neighbouring countries and thereby reduce immigration to South Africa.
4. Emigration from South Africa, in particular that of skilled people, often referred to as the 'brain drain', is extremely detrimental to the country's economic and social development. For example, a substantial part of South Africa's educational resources, in particular, is used on people who then leave the country. This is a wasted use of resources. South Africa should therefore have policies which discourage emigration, by for example, legislating the repayment of the costs of education.

   OR

5. Both immigration and emigration are essential aspects of a free market culture and should not be matters of government policy.
6. Other ...

Goals and strategies in relation to fertility

In the past, internationally, demographic goals, such as the goal of lowering the fertility rate, have been set to meet the goals of population control programmes, rather than necessarily to improve the quality of life of the population as a whole. While such goals can be useful as measures of quality of life, they can also lead service providers to put the demographic goal above the long-term purpose. For example, in many parts of the world, family planning providers have been given target numbers of people to whom they must give contraception because of the goal of lowering the fertility rate. They have taken advantage of people's lack of education by, for example, giving them a contraceptive injection without their knowledge and have taken advantage of people's poverty by, for example, offering incentives such as money or clothes if they will use contraception. Such service providers have been mainly concerned to meet the target numbers, instead of giving people the information and choices they need to decide if they want to use contraception. Thus the setting of goals for fertility reduction can lead to human rights abuses. It may therefore be better to focus on those factors which lead to a lowering of the fertility rate, as discussed above, like literacy levels, levels of access to and usage of health care services, levels of employment, and others. On the other hand, the lowering of the fertility rate is certainly a sign of improved quality of life and it can therefore be argued that it is an important indicator of the effectiveness of the overall development programme.

Some people feel that the fertility rate should be raised. There are many different reasons people may have for this view. For example, many people believe that children are a gift from God, and people should therefore have as many as come; they are the basis of society. Others believe that because South Africa has lost so many young people through the war over the last decade, and because of the high rate of deaths of children, people should be encouraged to have more children.

Question 2.6

Should South Africa set goals and time-frames specifically in relation to fertility levels, that is, the average number of children a woman or man should have?

2.6.1

Possible approaches in relation to lowering the fertility rate:

1. If we decide to have an explicit policy to lower the fertility rate then we must set goals with time frames in relation to the fertility rate. This is necessary in order to measure the effectiveness of the development programme in relation to the objective of lowering the fertility rate. This would be presented as a goal of x number of children by x year, for example, a goal of an average of two children per man or woman by the year 2010.

   OR

2. If we decide to have an explicit policy to lower the fertility rate, we do not also have to set goals for the fertility rate. Lowering the fertility rate will be achieved through meeting our aims in each development sector, as spelt out in the ICPD Programme of Action. Therefore, even if the intention is to lower the fertility rate, goals should rather be set in relation to a range of factors which influence fertility. For example, direct factors such as improved access to quality reproductive health services, and indirect factors such as improved literacy levels.

   OR

3. People should decide for themselves whether they want children, how many to have and when to have them. The state should not be telling people how many children to have.
4. Other ...

2.6.2

Possible approaches in relation to increasing the fertility rate:

1. If we decide to have an explicit policy to increase the fertility rate, then we must set goals with time frames in relation to the fertility rate in order to measure the effectiveness of the development programme in relation to the objective of increasing the fertility rate. This would be presented as a goal of x number of children by x year, for example, a goal of an average of 5 children per man or woman by the year 2010.

   OR

2. If we decide to have an explicit policy to increase the fertility rate, we do not also have to set goals for it. Increasing the fertility rate will be achieved as a result of the cultural values of the population which will lead them to have many children.

   OR

3. People should decide for themselves whether they want children, how many to have and when to have them. The state should not be telling people how many children to have.
4. Other ...

Policy in relation to population growth

The population growth rate is the result of the interaction between migrancy patterns, and mortality and fertility rates. Thus, to oversimplify the process: if the government wants to increase the population growth rate, it needs to encourage, through policies and programmes, more births and immigration, while encouraging a decrease in the death rate and in emigration from South Africa. If, on the other hand, the government wants to lower the population growth rate, then it needs to encourage, through policies and programmes, fewer births and less immigration. In fact, some of these issues are already resolved through the RDP and other government policies. Because of the moral obligation to do so, South Africa will discourage through all possible policies and programmes, in all relevant ministries and departments, unnecessary and early deaths. Apart from this, the RDP does focus on all major development sectors which contribute to lowering fertility. New policies on internal and international migration are being considered at the moment.

The question of using population information in order to be able to plan effective programmes is also under consideration, and mechanisms for this are discussed below.

Thus, it is clear that South Africa already has (or is in the process of developing) policies and programmes which together can be described as a 'population policy'. However, they are not spelt out as such. In particular, the linkages between each sectoral policy and the fertility, mortality and migration rates are not made explicit. Is this necessary? Would it be helpful to formally articulate all of these various policies and programmes as the means through which South Africa intends to take account of and to influence population trends through its development planning and programmes?

Question 2.7

Should South Africa have a coordinated policy on integrating population trends into development policy and planning which includes references to sectoral policies, both taking account of and influencing population trends?

Possible approaches to consider:

1. If, subject to responses to the above questions, it is decided that South Africa should have specific goals or strategies to take into account and to influence population trends, then this must be articulated in one policy within the RDP and any future national development policies so that they can be monitored and the necessary adjustments made over time. A specific and very focused policy on integrating population trends into development policy and planning spells out the gaps not directly addressed by the RDP at the moment, in relation to population trends. It should also spell out the mechanisms by which these will be addressed, including how they link to each department's programmes, that is, this policy would present the government's understanding of the relationship between population trends and development, and the mechanisms it will set in place to facilitate the integration of population trends into development planning and monitoring. This should be written within an RDP White Paper in order to keep a close linkage between population and development matters. This would make the RDP a development policy which takes account of population trends; this is what is meant by integrating population into development planning.

   OR

2. Each department already has policies and programmes which are influenced by and impact on population trends. These do not need to be reiterated in a single policy. However, on a structural level, a technical body, responsible for monitoring population trends must be responsible for collating all policies and programmes which impact on population trends in order to both be able to articulate South Africa's policies and activities in this regard, and monitor the impact of these on population trends.

   OR

3. It is not necessary to put all the policies and programmes which impact on population trends into a single policy. Each department already has policies and programmes which are influenced by and impact on population trends. Each department does its own monitoring and adjustments already.
4. Other ...

3. DEVELOPMENT PLANNING AND OF POPULATION TRENDS

South Africa's population trends (such as those presented in 'Basic Information' above) have implications for development. Each of the terrains presented in the table on the RDP, ICPD and PDP above, influences and is influenced by population trends. For example, if a local authority is trying to plan for the provision of schools in a town, its planners need to know how many children are likely to be born in the area, and will therefore need schooling in five years' time, in ten years' time, and so on. It needs to know how many people are likely to migrate to the area so that there are enough places in schools for these children.

The process whereby policy-makers and planners take account of population trends in the process of development policy making and planning is what is meant by the concept of 'integrating population into development'. This process should also involve planners investigating the impact of their programmes on population trends, by asking themselves whether housing, education or health programmes have influenced the fertility, mortality or migrancy rates. For example, the decision to provide free health care to pregnant women should be measured, amongst other things, in terms of its impact on maternal mortality. Do less women die in childbirth now that there are free health services?

To be able to do this, however, all policy makers and planners need both the demographic or population data and information, and the capacity to monitor and interpret it for their needs.

Question 3.1

What is the most effective and appropriate way to gather data on population trends for development planning?

Possible approaches to consider:

1. Each department gathers its own data and uses this for planning purposes. The census is also available to all departments to use as they wish.

   OR

2. Each department gathers what data arises from its own work and uses this data as it needs to. The data is, however, sent to a central data collection unit (at both provincial and national levels), so that all population data is available to all departments which may need it.

   OR

3. In addition to the collating role described in 2 above, it is necessary that a coordinating unit develop a research agenda, in discussion with all other relevant departments, which ensures that research is done covering all the needed insights into the interrelationships between development programmes and population trends. This structure could commission research and also gather research done by other institutions.
4. Other ...

Question 3.2

How can the government ensure the use of data on population trends for development planning and monitoring?

Possible approaches to consider:

1. Each department does its own interpretation of data (whether gathered through any of the methods described above) in relation to the area in which it is planning an intervention.

   OR

2. A single unit, skilled in the interpretation of population trends, whether at national or provincial level, is responsible for helping all departments to analyse and interpret the data for planning purposes, and for assisting them to monitor the impact of the department's programmes on population trends.

   OR

3. A mix of both the above: departments do their own interpretation of data but also use a central unit when necessary.
4. Other ...

4. GENDER EQUALITY

Women's empowerment

Women's empowerment is an essential component of any effective development policy whether or not it explicitly takes account of population trends. The key challenge is to both effect changes within each sector and create an overall improvement in women's social, economic and political position in society. The ICPD Programme of Action (Chapter 4) focuses specifically on a range of government activities to improve women's status. These activities include:

education; involvement of women in the political process and public life; eliminating discrimination against women and assisting women in realising their rights including in relation to the workplace by enacting laws and implementing programmes to enable employees of both sexes to balance their family and work responsibilities; improving women's ability to achieve economic self-reliance; eliminating violence against women in general and in relation to war; making it possible through laws, regulations and other measures, for women to combine the roles of child-bearing, breast-feeding and child-rearing with participation in the workforce; ensuring women have equal rights to land, credit and inheritance; investing in measures to lessen the daily burden of domestic responsibilities, the greatest share of which falls on women; encouraging the expansion of grass -roots groups for women which should be the focus of national campaigns to foster women's awareness of the full range of their legal rights, including their rights within the family, and to help women organize to achieve those rights.

The RDP is presently investigating the challenges facing South Africa to empower women and the mechanisms for intersectoral collaboration towards this goal. It has set up Gender Commissioners in all provinces as part of this process.

Question 4.1

Should the interrelationships between population trends and the empowerment of women be spelt out by government?

Possible approaches to consider:

1. It is essential that these interrelationships are spelt out in overarching policy because they are so important in terms of influencing women's position in society.

   OR

2. Efforts to empower will, in themselves, have a significant impact on population trends, which will contribute to women's quality of life. It is not necessary to spell this out in overarching policy.
3. Other ...

Question 4.2

Should there be a mechanism for coordinating activities aimed at women's empowerment and if so, where should it be?

Possible approaches to consider:

1. Each department should do what it has committed itself to do. This will be monitored and evaluated in each department. There should not be a coordinating mechanism. We do not want so much bureaucracy.

   OR

2. This is an RDP role. The RDP office has already set up Women's Commissioners in each province. Their offices should coordinate the setting of priorities with the involvement of civil society, and create a forum for discussing programmes within each department and for monitoring the overall progress in women's empowerment. In addition there will soon be a Gender Commission, as specified in the interim Constitution, to monitor progress in relation to gender equality.

   OR

3. This is the role of the population units. They should coordinate the setting of priorities with the involvement of civil society, and create a forum for discussing programmes within each department and for monitoring the overall progress in women's empowerment.
4. Other ...

Question 4.3

Should there be a structure in government which is responsible for empowering women by giving them information which they need, and which is separate from all other departments?

Possible approaches to consider:

1. It does not make sense to have a structure which gives information about services which it does not provide. Each department must give women the information they need in relation to the services it supplies. So, for example, the Department of Health must inform women about their right to decide how many children they want; the Department of Education must inform women about how to get access to adult education classes; the Department of Constitutional Affairs must inform women about their right to stand for elections for local government; the officials responsible for Community Development must inform women about their rights, help them to organise and identify their development needs and available resources; and the Department of Welfare must inform women about how to access social services. You do not need an additional unit to do this. It is also the role of NGOs and community based organisations to do this.

   OR

2. In addition to specific information and programmes like those in the Departments of Education, Welfare or Health, women need to know their rights, and they need support in claiming their rights, for example to stand for decision-making positions in the community or to decide how many children they want. A specific information unit in government is needed to inform women about their rights, both on a personal and social level.

   2.1

   The offices of the Gender Commissioners in each province should play this role.

   OR

   2.2

   The population units in the Department of Welfare should play this role.

   OR

   2.3

   Another unit should be set up for this purpose. (Give details.)

3. Other ...

Men's involvement in population issues

Much of the focus of the ICPD Programme of Action is on women's empowerment. It does, however, in Chapter 4C, also discuss men's responsibilities and participation. It notes that:

Men play a key role in bringing about gender equality since, in most societies, men exercise preponderant power in nearly every sphere of life, ranging from personal decisions regarding the size of families to the policy and programme decisions taken at all levels of Government.

It gives an objective:

to promote gender equality in all spheres of life... and to encourage and enable men to take responsibility for their sexual and reproductive behaviour and their social and family roles.

It proposes the following actions:

Government should promote equal participation of women and men in all areas of family and household responsibilities including family planning, child-rearing, housework, shared control and contribution to family income, children's education, health and nutrition; and recognition and promotion of the equal value of children of both sexes. .. Special emphasis should be placed on the prevention of violence against women and children. This should be pursued through information, education, communication, employment legislation and by fostering an economically enabling environment, such as family leave for men and women so that they may have more choice regarding the balance of their domestic and public responsibilities. Governments should take steps, including changes in law and policy, to ensure that children receive appropriate financial support from their parents, by, among other measures, enforcing child support laws.... Parents and schools should ensure that attitudes that are respectful of women and girls as equals are instilled in boys from the earliest possible age, along with an understanding of their shared responsibilities in all aspects of a safe, secure and harmonious family life. Relevant programmes to reach boys before they become sexually active are urgently needed.

Question 4.4

Should a development policy with an integrated approach to population trends propose means of supporting men in taking responsibility to equalise the power relationships between men and women?

Possible approaches to consider:

1. No, this is a matter of culture and tradition and the government should not influence people's behaviour in this regard.

   OR

2. The interim Constitution guarantees equality, but this does not mean anything unless the government actively promotes this equality through:

   2.1

   every government department in every relevant area. Thus schools must promote equality between boys and girls, clinics must offer appropriate information to boys as well as girls, and so on.

   AND / OR

   2.2

   the offices of the Gender Commissioners in each province, which would coordinate activities across departments and monitor the overall progress towards achieving equality.

   AND / OR

   2.3

   a population unit offering information, education and communication.

3. Other ...

5. INFORMING THE PUBLIC ABOUT DEVELOPMENT ISSUES AND POPULATION TRENDS

The need for a new information policy and the question of responsibility for carrying it out

This Green Paper explores the question of who should be responsible for making population information available to the public. The question of making population information available to government is covered in the section above which explores the question of providing information to government for planning purposes should it need factual information on population trends, and assistance in the interpretation of this information as it relates to its specific programmes, as well as monitoring the impact of its programmes on population trends.

The RDP (Base document 5.174) notes the need for:

...an information policy which guarantees active exchange of information and opinion among all members of society. Without the free flow of accurate and comprehensive information, the RDP will lack the mass input necessary for its success. [A] new information policy must facilitate exchange of information within and among communities and between government and society...

Who is responsible for such information? What is the role of communities, the private sector, and government? And within government, what are the different responsibilities of the different departments? What sorts of information are needed?

At the moment, each department provides information with regard to its own services. The South African Communication Services has taken responsibility for information about people's new rights as well as about the new structures of government and how people can access government resources, including those of the RDP.

The ICPD programme identifies much of this information as 'population information, education and communication' (IEC) because it impacts in one way or another on population trends. Population information includes the generation and dissemination of general and technical information of important developments regarding the population situation and related policies. Population communication is a planned dialogue process, aimed at motivating people to adopt alternative attitudes or behaviour or to utilise existing services. Population education refers to the process of facilitating learning with a view to enabling audiences to make rational and informed decisions about their behaviour in relation to mortality, fertility and migrancy in the long term.

This Green Paper needs to assess what IEC is needed by the public with regard to population issues, and who should provide it. In particular, should the existing population units continue to be responsible for the provision of certain 'information, education and communication' to the public?

The ICDP view on the significance of communication

The ICDP Programme of Action emphasises that for the provision of IEC to be effective, a range of communication channels must be employed, including the interpersonal, the mass media, and traditional folk arts, and that this information should be accessible to all levels of society and all groups within it. These communication activities need to be coordinated and linked to the relevant policies and services to enhance their use.

According to the ICDP programme, effective IEC on matters of population can facilitate informed, free and responsible decision-making by individuals with regard to health, sexual and reproductive behaviour, family life, and patterns of production, consumption and resource usage. It can also create a positive environment within which a society can address and respond to the challenges of migration.

The role of the government in providing IEC to the public

Thus, in the view of the ICPD, all stakeholders in society have a responsibility to communicate on development and population- related matters. In addition, such IEC should be linked to, and complement, development and population policies, strategies and services. With regard to the government's role in IEC on development and population issues, there are two important questions. Where in government should the IEC function be located? And to what extent should the information provided have been interpreted by government, that is, should the government be able to offer its own interpretations of such information?

Currently, population units provide IEC on the relationship between population trends and poverty, and on the small-family norm. The units are now developing new messages in the light of the policies of the Government of National Unity. In the past, some population units offered information on issues which, they say, would be more appropriately dealt with by other departments. The Department of Education, for example, should be responsible for providing education in schools on population trends as well as life-skills, career guidance, sexuality education and so on; and the Department of Health should provide IEC on the importance of immunisation, the value of using contraception, how to prevent sexually transmitted disease and so on. Some units offered information to women about their rights, which is also the responsibility of the community development officials in the Department of Welfare. Some units offered population information and interpretation, which function is not the responsibility of any other government department.

The role of civil society in providing IEC to the public

While the ICPD view argues that the government has a key role in IEC, it also notes the importance of NGOs, communities and others in the distribution of information. It can, however, be argued that it is not the role of the government at all to communicate about matters related to such personal decision-making. Some argue that this is specifically the role of custom and religion. Others argue that this is the role of the media, and it is for this reason that it is important that all communities have access to the media. When the government takes on the role of interpreting information for the public, the information can easily become government propaganda. Given the power of government, it is essential to limit its role in disseminating and interpreting information of this nature.

Question 5.1

Should the government provide ongoing information about population-related matters to the public?

Possible approaches to consider:

1. Information is part of any basic service for which the government is responsible. For example, offering pap smears to detect and prevent cervical cancer is not helpful if women do not know what these are or when or where to have them done. But government should not offer its interpretations of population information, and how people's behaviour should change in relation to this. This is the role of organisations of civil society. It is not the task of the government to tell people what to do in their personal lives.

   OR

2. Government is responsible for the well-being of all its citizens. It must therefore take responsibility not only for providing information about population trends, but also for making the population aware of the implications of these trends for their lives and their children's lives.
3. Other ...

If you feel government should play some role in provision of information to the public:

Question 5.2

Which section(s) of government should be responsible for providing information, education and communication (IEC) about population-related matters to the public?

Possible approaches to consider:

1. Population IEC should be linked to whichever services it relates to. Thus, the Department of Health should provide both the IEC and the means for people to decide freely and responsibly on the number and spacing of their children. It does not satisfy people to receive information, for example, about the value of contraception, if the person giving it is not from the Department of Health and does not have information about how contraceptives work, what is available, and so on. Therefore such information should be supplied by the Department of Health. Likewise, it is up to the Department of Home Affairs, which is responsible for migration policy, to provide information about the difficulties and positive aspects of migration, as well as the practical steps required to deal with it. If population and development information is to be supplied through the education system, then this must be the responsibility of the Department of Education, both for formal and informal education. It is illogical and irrational to have an IEC unit on development and population issues separate from the departments which offer the relevant services. Thus each department needs an effective IEC strategy and programme.

   OR

2. A specific unit should have an IEC role which includes dealing with population trends. It would not cover information which comes from within the programmes of other government departments (each department will cover this itself), but concentrate only on aspects of population that are not dealt with elsewhere, for example, how to access resources directly from the RDP, or on the impact of the RDP, as a whole, on population trends.

   2.1

   This unit should be part of the RDP or a future national development programme.

   OR

   2.2

   This should be the role of the population units in the Department of Welfare.

   OR

   2.3

   This should be the role of the Department of Welfare on behalf of the RDP or a future national development programme.

   OR

3. A specific unit should offer the public IEC about all population-related issues directly to the public, including those issues for which programmes are provided in specific departments. If this is left to individual departments, they may prioritise their own immediate concerns and neglect the population issues.

   3.1

   This unit should be part of the RDP or a future national development programme.

   OR

   3.2

   This should be the role of the population units in the Department of Welfare.

   OR

   3.3

   This should be the role of the Department of Welfare on behalf of the RDP or a future national development programme.

   OR

4. The population units should provide information on population- related issues to other departments for use in their own IEC strategies and programmes. Thus the available expertise of the population units will be sure to be utilised to identify and help design effective IEC strategies for implementation by the department dealing with the topic in question.

   OR

5. Other...

Question 5.3

The government decided to launch a campaign on a population issue which involves a range of government departments, as well as NGOs, communities and others, how should this be coordinated?

Possible approaches to consider:

1. The department most involved in this issue should coordinate the campaign.

   OR

2. The RDP should coordinate this campaign.

   OR

3. The population units in the Department of Welfare should coordinate this campaign

   3.1

   in their own right

   3.2

   on behalf of the RDP or a future national development programme

   OR

4. Other ...

6. INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS

An established policy to integrate population trends into development policy and planning does not guarantee its implementation, and accordingly many such policies in other countries specify the institutions responsible for implementation.

International experience with population units

In some countries national population councils have been established at cabinet level, with population units functioning as coordinating and operational bodies directly under these councils. In other countries population units or divisions have been created in planning institutions such as the Ministry of Planning. Population units have also been established in sectoral ministries or in regional development planning bodies. The establishment of population planning units, is a significant step in the process of formulating, implementing and evaluating population-related policies, and examining the actual and potential effects of socio-economic policies on population trends, and vice verse. Population units facilitate the incorporation of population factors into development planning at national and regional levels. Population units typically house population reference materials and can be used to organize seminars, and promote apprenticeships and training. They also promote interaction among economists and demographers, thus helping to enrich and broaden development perspectives.

Whatever the institutional model, it is clear that for the effective integration of development and population planning to take place, there must be a network of local capabilities in data collection, research and analysis on development and population interrelationships, policy formulation and programme development, and development and population planning.

Forms of population units

Population units take different forms in different countries, for example:

• Small technical units providing information and analysis at a high level of government exist in many Asian countries such as Thailand and Sri Lanka.
• Interministerial councils, representing various government agencies, that are created to formulate policy and promote programmes, are found in the Dominican Republic, Egypt, Kenya, Nigeria, Peru, Senegal, and Tunisia, among others.

Functions of population units

Population planning units are expected to fulfil the following functions:

• collate, synthesise and make available existing demographic information in an accessible manner to policy-makers on the population commission;
• advise policy-makers on how to use the available information for population policy formulation;
• contribute to draft population policy proposals;
• assist in monitoring and evaluating policy.

While policies are usually decided elsewhere in government, the population unit can take over the implementation process, working with line ministries in education, health and social services, with central and local planning units, with donors, and with national and local NGOs.

This Green Paper has explored the question of institutionalising certain aspects of policy and programme implementation such as gathering population data and using it for monitoring purposes, promoting women's empowerment and carrying out IEC programmes. This section considers this question in relation to the implementation of the policy as a whole.

Question 6

If it is accepted that population trends ought to be considered within the RDP and a future national development strategy, how should this be institutionalised?

Possible approaches to consider:

1. Once it is policy, each department will implement this itself, as they implement all relevant aspects of the RDP.

   OR

2. No overarching policy will be implemented without the existence of a central body to help departments to interpret the policy in relation to their areas of responsibility, where necessary, and to monitor and evaluate the implementation of the policy.

   2.1

   The RDP should set up its own units to play this role at provincial and national levels.

   OR

   2.2

   The population units in the Department of Welfare should play this role at provincial and national levels.

   OR

   2.3

   should play this role at provincial and national levels on behalf of the RDP.

3. Other ...

7. PARTICIPATION OF CIVIL SOCIETY

The RDP commits the government to transparency and to involving non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and community-based organisations in policy and programme development. Over the past decade many forums have developed to represent such organisations of civil society in negotiations with government.

In relation to population issues, one component of the PDP was the Council for Population Development which was set up in 1986. It was not intended as a representative body, but rather as a body of experts from a wide range of sectors, such as trade, industry, agriculture, women's organisations and academia. The aim of the Council was to advise the Minister for Population Development on population issues.

There are also two regional population forums, one in the Eastern Cape and one in the Western Cape. Both comprise community based organisations, NGOs, and other interested parties.

Question 7

Is it necessary to have a population forum representing the interests of organisations of civil society?

Possible approaches to consider:

1. It is essential that representatives of organisations concerned about population trends share their views and develop proposals with which to lobby government. Moreover, it is essential that government has a defined body with which to consult on matters related to population trends. There is a danger that structures advising on development may not pay the necessary attention to population concerns, or may not have the expertise to do so.

   OR

2. Since population trends are only meaningful in relation to the fact that they influence and are influenced by development programmes, those organisations concerned with population trends should be represented on existing development forums. Alternatively, since there are very few mass-based organisations specifically concerned with population trends, existing development-oriented organisations should be encouraged to develop expertise in the interrelationships between population trends and development. They could draw on independent experts or on government expertise for this support. To set up a separate population forum would mean the same people have to participate in two forums and the issues will be kept separate instead of being integrated.
3. Other ...

THANK YOU FOR YOUR RESPONSES

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Last modified: 22 April 2008 14:51:42.