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The healing has begun!

Honourable Speaker, Mr. SW Lubisi,
Premier of the Province, Mr. NJ Mahlangu
Honourable MPLs,
Distinguished guests
Colleagues and friends,
Members of the Media,

Honourable Speaker, from the past to the present, we are gradually heading for a new destiny. A destiny where our people will gradually be able to provide for themselves means that we will ensure a high and equitable quality of life. A destiny that comes as a product of reconstruction and development efforts within which values of society at work is enshrined.

Informed by this understanding, we believe as a department that gradually we are at a pace in the transformation of government services, shaping economy to be at par with the challenges of our time. We are able to manage our environment in a manner that empowers us to be at par with the aspirations of our people.

In my engagement with communities, throughout the province in the year that has gone by, I met with many people and visited many communities in various conditions. Now that I have concluded the financial year, I looked back to all these interactions and encounters, and I concluded that I was indeed a sojourner in a country of two worlds, where the majority of the people are poor, jobless and without basic human development resources and needs.

Honourable Speaker, I have met old helpless people, most of who were still forced to be breadwinners and child guardians. I met young people at schooling ages, who have been forced by circumstances to be leaders of families. I also met an army of poor people, trying to survive in economically unsound reserves, where our ugly history dumped them. I met people with a variety of disabilities; whose development and welfare to most of us near them is as someone else's.

I met abused children and women, as well as people with various chronic diseases, some lying, in waiting for their inevitable last days of their lives, as they approach in high speed, the last days of their lives, facilitated by the lack of access to nutritious food. Many have been informed of their passing away.

All these, Mr. Speaker, bring about in my memory, some thoughts, I used to like the most from Maya Angelo's poem:

" Out of the huts of history's shame I rise
Up from a past that is rooted in pain
I am a Black Ocean, leaping and wide
Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.

Leaving behind nights of terror and fear
I rise into a daybreak that is wondrously clear
Bringing the gift that my ancestors gave,
I am the dream and the hope of slave,
I rise..."

It is true, Honourable Speaker, that when darkness of the night passes-by, morning dawns and the day is born, the sun begins to shine, the sun that is a symbol of hope and prosperity.

The budget that we present today represents a set of objectives, which are aimed at accelerating the dawn of the day, bring about the day break and let the sun rise over those whom darkness had obscured for a long time. These victims include the aged, the unemployed, the rural poor, youth, the abused women and children, particularly people with disability.

Our people, we hope through this budget, will rise above the odds and begin to reclaim their rights of the gifts their ancestors left them, which is their land and what is in it. We believe, as government begins to focus our efforts towards addressing the skewed land ownership rights and redirect the resources earned from the earthly wealth, a base is laid for our masses to be able to rise and reach out for growth, development and progress.

Our department in these efforts have a major share, as it is key in the provision for active life-after-care to those, who cannot do it for themselves anymore, either because of age, disabilities, illness and or economic conditions.

We know that we alone are just a pinch of salt in this adjustment. We will once more invite stakeholders of our communities to trend with us. We repeat our call for business communities to cease these opportunities and help to redevelop our country. We will ensure that our partners in transformation, the NGOs, CBOs and FBOs are together with us in pursuit for a better tomorrow, for they know the past. It is a common past, whose experience is known to all of us.

Honourable Speaker, let me take time and reflect on some of the issues, which bear relevance to the budget we are presenting today. It is about population. Many of our people are still poor.

The South African Population policy as adopted by Parliament, in April 1998, reflected international trends in and approaches to population and development, more importantly though, it describes the relationship between population and development in the country.

It further captures the sustainable development aspirations of ordinary South Africans. There are still people without running water, there are those who are vulnerable, exploited, abused and underdeveloped. They recognise that they are part of a dynamic environment in which humanity co-exists. They are part of a common period of change and transformation.

It is through the effort of this government, that together with our people, we must have a clear and unambiguous plan to advance the poor and create equal opportunities for all the masses of our people. A plan, Mr. Speaker, to transform societies from the status of objects of history, to that of masters of their own destiny. Improved human dignity and respect for ourselves.

This process as Maya Angelou, the African poet from the USA, African working class woman, requires men and women of vision, to rise up in their pain imposed, strike in correct directions, move millions of our people to actual development of both skills and income, combining the necessary and the possible, put into action those plans, measure the cause of those plans, which have been implemented and taste their effect.

To understand all these, we must appreciate the fact that, this healing process will time and again require men and women to look back, so that they together with us, are able to say this is what we can achieve, these are the strengths, and these are weaknesses, and therefore we can move forward with determination.

Honourable Speaker, all of us are accordingly entering a new phase with a comprehensive increase in human effort, giving out to communities what we can afford. Judged in our commitment are communities, which are able to confirm with our level of service and other deliverables.

Guided in our charted course, are projects and programmers, which we continue to implement in accordance with our agenda of social transformation. The basic vision of achieving the key departmental priorities and objectives as contained in our adopted action plans from 1999 to date, remain valid today.

Despite the fact that we have had and still have enormous inequalities, there is a hope that we are at a point where we can say, we will eradicate them.

We have set key priorities, which we seek to apply our minds, in an effort towards developing a sustainable community amongst the poor and the underdeveloped. This plan includes:

* Improved office efficiency and financial management;
* Strengthening of social security control systems;
* Implementation of home based care models;
* Ensure the effective administration and management of poverty alleviation programs;
* Protection of children and their rights; and
* Transformation of services rendered by not- for-profit organizations.

Our effort to create better and improve the conditions at pay-points, increase intake on the child support grant, poverty relief programmes, departmental HIV/AIDS policy development, both in and at communities, are among indicators which came as a result of common effort dedicated to rebuilding our own country.

We have advanced communities on matters of Poverty Alleviation, Welfare Services, Social Security, Human Resource Development and other related sectors of our department, out of our budget of R1, 570,522 billion for 2001/02.

On Social Assistance, the department funded 31 organisations, which were serviced by 79 Social Workers and Auxiliary workers. We funded four children's homes serving 352 children and about 90 Day care centres serving 5974 children was also funded. We also have funded 19 homes for older persons providing care to 1247 older persons. I will however reflect on more detail some of the issues as and when I begin to deal with specific programmes.

HIV/AIDS

Honourable Speaker, the reports on the pandemic are rather difficult to relate to. A month ago I made some visits to communities in the province, I visited Barberton and Nkomazi, the shocking evidence I came across on the pandemic still traumatises me. Though shocking and difficult to accept, I was impressed by the positive attitude of our social workers, who always display their willingness to assist families and such communities, I was rather impressed about the commitment from individual community members who continue to volunteer their service, caring for our people.

I feel it remains important for me to continue my call to every member of the community, to volunteer your time and other resources for the best services that you continue to provide survivors of the pandemic. We are all aware that our Province is being rated second in the country, as a result of that, I am tempted to say we need as a people, to first acknowledge that we all share this common crisis.

We too need to make an acknowledgement that we must seek possible solutions to this pandemic and jointly as departments try to address the challenges posed by this disease. In and during the Social Development Month in October 2001, the National Minister, Dr. ZS Skweyiya and I visited a number of home-based care projects, to be appraised on the extent of the effect of pandemic amongst our people.

Amongst communities that we visited, is Masoyi. You will recall that it has received R500,000.00 from the National department. I am happy to announce that, the fund was used effectively and for the best purpose.

Structures were built; that is three houses and food gardens were strengthened, and assisted in sanitation by building pit-toilets. The houses are used by orphans as a means of their accommodation and the accommodation of their caregivers.

The centre is again used as training centre for other home-based care projects. Matsulu and Kabokweni benefited from this centre in terms of capacity building. We believe that Masoyi, sustainable as it is now, will continue on the same footing and provide services to our orphans. It is therefore important to make this call clear, that communities must come together and avail themselves to foster these children so that they can grow in an environment that they are used to.

We want to build capacity, build esteem and build the future out of the country through our youth. We will be directing more resources to community-based initiatives, for care and support for the youth that are both affected and infected with HIV/AIDS. It is therefore significant to call on youth to volunteer their services in community ignited projects.

The youth, Honourable Speaker, are the future of the Nation! These are the people, who can make a more meaningful contribution in the fight against HIV/AIDS and to the general socio-economic development of our country.

In our visits, one of the most painful unspeakable experiences ever was to discover how siblings, grandparents or members of extended families have become parents of the HIV/AIDS orphans. How on everyday life, volunteers carry the burden and baggage, co-operate actively with the difficulties of the time and strive to save life.

We need, Honourable Speaker, to commend our people, who have responded so positively to such challenges, which have been presented by this disease. This is one of the most fruitful courses, which we all must stand firm with courage and determination, move forward amid all setbacks and accept disappointments, however chilling to our hope.

In 2001/02, the department piloted an integrated plan for HIV/AIDS in Tonga, Matibidi, Eerstehoek, Piet Retief, Kwa-Mhlanga and Mmametlhake, which in terms of our Provincial information, business plans submitted are receiving funding and are accordingly succeeding.

The home-based care centres, provide an important link between government and those in need of care and support, thus creating a caring society. This NPOs are amongst the few, which are ensuring that families affected by HIV/AIDS receive counselling, poor relief and the necessary care and support.

Amongst the services rendered by these NPOs, are complementary services, like accessing of necessary documentation, which will enable the infected person to apply for their grants and the placement of children in appropriate care. This, I think, may ensure a righteous cause, which may possibly achieve humanity's full stature.

To guard ourselves from being slaves of our bitter past, we need this vision, which is able to see in this generation's ordeals, the opportunity to heal the wounds and care for the sick and dying and support the children of Africa! Given such a humble contribution, our present concern and commitment may as well offer our people the kind of spiritual dynamic so desperately needed for survival.

Between 2001/02, we have managed again to establish throughout the Province, 21 new home-based care services, out of this, 830 volunteers were recruited and trained so that they are able to work closely with the affected and infected.

We need as a people and as a province, to work against the stigmatisation and discrimination of people with HIV/AIDS in all spheres of life.

To that effect:

(i) Our department, the department of Social Services came up with work place HIV/AIDS policy document. The policy document seeks to address matters relating to the effect of HIV/AIDS in the work place.

This documents seeks to mandate officials, both affected and non-affected, of the rights and privileges of each individual. We obviously will note that infected and affected people will constantly require counselling, caring and other necessary privileges accorded to HIV/AIDS infected and affected people; and

(ii) We have strengthened a number of existing home-based care centres assisting them financially and ensuring that people in both rural and previously disadvantaged communities receive necessary care and support.

As we adopt this policy, I wish to call for an immediate implementation of this policy in and during the course of this financial year. I am anticipating, from my department, with immediate effect the finalisation of the work place programme, to facilitate the implementation of the work place policy document.

I wish to reflect for some time on some matters relating to Operation Nakakela. Honourable Speaker, through our engagements and endeavours, we have managed to reflect on the ugly conditions our people were and are exposed to as a result of this pandemic. Last year alone, Operation Nakekela covered areas including Matibidi, Schoemansdal and Mangweni and more than 1698 children were assessed.

With the same exercise, we have managed out of the 1698 children, to place 263 in foster care through courts. We intend to spread this operation in all our regions and throughout the province. We intend that through this operation we will have a clear picture of children who are in need of care, assessments, counselling social relief and social grants.

Honourable Speaker, my department has managed to utilise the conditional grants sent to the province for the purpose intended for. This current year, the national Department has already set aside R6.9 million from the conditional grant for the year 2002/03. This funding is meant to strengthen and establish new home-based care centres in the province. The funding will again focus on capacity building to service providers in the field of HIV/AIDS.

We call upon all existing home-based care centres, to unite against this disease and establish amongst themselves forums, from which they can share their experiences and as such assist our department on matters of planning.

The youth remain a vital link in our fight against the disease, we want to expand our effort and work together with our partners, community and faith-based organisations, Youth Commission and National Association for People Living with AIDS.

POVERTY ALLEVIATION

Honourable Speaker, the President of the country in his State of the Nation address acknowledged that: "...decision-makers across the globe have accepted the reality that the global struggle to eradicate poverty and underdevelopment is fundamental to the well being of humanity." And so did the Minister of Finance in his Budget Speech, when he said: "...to harvest the sweet fruit of the progress we have made in the budget for 2002, we must give priority to reducing poverty and vulnerability through sustained economic growth..."

Economic growth and human development, Honourable Speaker, are linked and should have the aim of achieving sustainable improvements in the quality of life of all South Africans. We are following this. Our struggle to eradicate poverty and underdevelopment will remain fundamental in our charted cause for freedom won. We shall do so ensuring in the implementation and funding of poverty programmes, ensure effective administration and management of poverty alleviation programmes.

The vision of poverty alleviation, which entails receiving, without creating self-sustainable ground, becoming SMME and join the mainstream of our economy will soon be corrected. I have more so alluded to one amongst then successful project in Hlau-Hlau, which is a model of more to come. We shall also appeal, to the heart and conscience of the mind, the people of the country and the world to match the capacity which inflicted poverty and suffering by our capacity which is able to endure suffering. Honourable Speaker, I am speaking of poverty and advances we have made thus far in 2001/02.

Two milestones have been achieved:

We are in the process of coming up with comprehensive and coordinated strategy on poverty alleviation. We have so far finalised an audit of all poverty alleviation projects in our province and are ready for submission to the Executive Council. We are busy refining together with the SMME and Mpumalanga Training Trust a document that will serve as a provincial approach to poverty alleviation.

We hope it will help provincial accountability and monitoring base. It will also provide a global picture in terms of targets, distribution, location, activities and the equitable use of resources available for poverty alleviation in the province.

From the department side, poverty alleviation funding was made available through conditional grants, from national.

For the first time last year, R650 000.00 was allocated from equitable share for nine projects. To give effect to this important area of focus, R9.4 million has been allocated to the Social Development programmes. This provides all together for the appointment of development facilitators, organisation building and transfers to poverty alleviation projects.

POPULATION UNIT

The Population Unit has continued to play a critical role in assisting in the analysis and disseminating of information to inform our provincial planning. We have now completed the Zaaiplaas Flagship research, and updated and revised the document on the Demographics of Poverty. We have also concluded some studies on the status of HIV/AIDS in the province.

A profile of people with disabilities has also been done; this will help to highlight their vulnerability. The Unit has also provided for the coordination of three primary HIV/AIDS Capacity Development Courses for government planners. It is therefore clear, Honourable Speaker, that the Unit has become a source of information for both our province and in particular our department. Especially on maters relating to HIV/AIDS.

In line with this, major plans for 2002/3 include situational analyses on five sites where the integrated HIV/AIDS plan is being implemented. Our aim therefore will be the development of a detailed report on the status of children in the province. An amount of R2.4 million is set aside for this programme.

Staff development has been and it will continue to be our key area of focus. We will improve office efficiency and our financial management systems. We have invested considerably in our human resource through staff development. Seventeen bursaries have been awarded and twenty learners received ABET training at level one.

We are in the process of reviewing our organisational structure to bring it in line with our objective of strengthening the newly aligned districts. There is an improvement in the procurement of equipment and transport and the moral of staff is lifting, following periods of cost-curtailment.

This will help managers to take full responsibility and be held accountable in terms of the PFMA. I am pleased to announce that we finally have an Audit Unit; this will help the department on good governance.

I want to report that we have now appointed an Audit Unit which will ensure that the budget proposal which I wish to present before you, places much of its emphasis on the needs and aspirations of our people.

It is a budget focusing on our agenda for poverty alleviation, growth and development, social transformation and it is biased to the deprived masses of our people.

Administration: R42, 974,000.00
Social Security: R1, 794,774,000.00
Social Welfare Services: R36, 829,000.00
Social Development: R26,382,000.00
Population Development: R2,765,000.00
Social Assistance: R58,576,000.00
Welfare Facilities: R4,515,000.00
Auxiliary and Associated Services: R3,992,000.00

We present herewith our total budget of R1,957,126,000.00 that represents the aspiration and hope for a better future for our people. We are willing to use this budget to fulfil the mandate our people have given us.

SOCIAL SECURITY.

I wish to acknowledge the amount of R2 billion announced by the Minister of Finance, which will be used by all provinces, to pay for backlogs in social security. I, indeed on behalf of the department and in particular our province, welcome the announcement.

The total budget that we have proposed and which we are going to receive, 91% of that total budget is consumed by social security. Last year alone, a total of R1.116 billion was spent on social security. These include grants like, child support grant, war veterans, old age grant, disability grant, care dependency grant and foster care grant.

Before I detail my report on the grant and other plans ahead, I wish to acknowledge all changes that have been made in terms of Social Assistance Act 59 of 1992. The amendment has acknowledged and provided for the establishment of assessment panels for people with disabilities, as well as accepting the date of application and no longer the date of approval to be the date for commencement of grant payment.

You will recall, Honourable Speaker, that in the past, the definition of disability was solely left in the hands of doctors. It is now however acknowledged that the role of this assessment panel will be to evaluate information and determine disability and care dependency for the purposes of recommendations for the award of the grant.

In terms of policy and the legislative amendment, we wish to welcome on behalf of our people that, payment date of a grant for a new applicant will be a date on which the applicant has made an application.

We have also committed the department in terms of the provision of the Act, to deliver to the applicant within thirty days of application, so that matters of backlogs are dealt with accordingly. In terms of suspension of any grant, beneficiaries will now enjoy the right of being informed three months before suspension, which then gives an opportunity to beneficiaries to lodge an appeal within thirty days of suspension of the grant.

Other matters which relate to the same, are question of norms and standards which have a specific focus on review of grant administration process, pay-point development, human resource development, organisational structure, customer care, rewards and other recognition.

I think you will agree with me that the challenges are enormous and will need dedicated civil servants. I will therefore re-iterate the words of the President, during the tabling of the State of the Nation address, when he said: "...those public servants who do not want to work must quit the civil service."

The grant increases to both old age grant and child support grant, underline as the President of the country has said: "...the commitment of this government to improve the conditions of the most vulnerable sectors of our population, the plight of the poor, the aged and even the abused women and children of our society."

The total number of active beneficiaries in payment as at 31 December 2001 was 265 702. There was a current increase of 20 150, which makes up to 8.2% as from April 2001/02. Growth spread over the different grant types has shown a remarkable progress in terms of our communication strategy with our communities. The old age grant has increased by 1.2%, disability grant has increased by 6.9%, war veteran grant is at 12%, foster/care dependency grant has increased by 18.3% and child support grant by 21.25%.

This really indicates the solid foundation in which we stand, for our move against the frontiers of poverty is gradually bearing fruit.

I have committed the department in the establishment of Pensioner committees, and that is succeeding. Pensioner committees' audit have been done throughout the province and 81% of the pay points have very strong and purposeful functional committees.

I must however acknowledge certain facts, which make humanity a reality. The fact that we still have a backlog in terms of human resources, affect the normal delivery patterns planned by our department.

The daily increase in beneficiaries brings the ratio of officials per beneficiary to a nearly uncontrollable 2100 beneficiaries per official. The shortage of transport was but among key impasse of service delivery, there is however, a clear sign that such an issue will soon be addressed.

Support grant is spreading impresses me is reality. So far we have reached more than 1340 420 children. Every month we have a constant registration increase of 2 915 children on the system. The other part, which has been my concern since the inception of the grant, was the fraudulent character in which individuals abused the system.

On every side of it, were broken rules and shattered plans. When government planned to assist the needy and the desperate, some of our people discovered a diamond mine, which they could at the expense of the generosity of government, see it as an employment.

I had no option, Honourable Speaker, but to launch operation Buyisa, which simply means, "bring back". We launched the operation not to refuse legitimate applicants their benefit, but to get rid of such people who continued to abuse the system.

I have instructed a fraud prevention strategy which must be implemented in an attempt to quell corruption or fraud. One of the intentions of the strategy is to ensure that, the child accompanies the applicant and his/her identity photo and clinic cards handed in together at the same time.

This process, no matter how labour intensive and time consuming, is unfortunate but it has to be implemented. The developments at pay-points is somehow positive. It is encouraging noting that we still have amongst our people, people of good heart and spirit.

We will strengthen our effort of phasing in of the child support grant, manage the development of facilities at pension pay-points, and continue with our commitment to combat and eliminate crime, fraud and corruption.

Honourable Speaker, Child Protection is both a national and provincial priority. We have started to implement the child protection register and 40 social workers have been trained. We are doing so, so that we are able to monitor trends and the direction to which this process is going.

1122 children's court inquiries have been opened over the past year, this reflects how careless some members of the community have become, and it reflects how insensitive and immoral some members of our society have become. The children of this country need our protection!

We need as a matter of urgency to implement child protection registers. The development of the policy on street children is long overdue. Although we did not finalise the policy, we feel we are on the right track since we managed to consult broadly in preparation to the drafting of such a policy and we concluded the processes during the planned summit between 18-20 April 2002

We desperately need a healing, our children need care! My call to you today is to ensure that organisations which are working in the field of children must strengthen their programmes on capacity building and other training.

It is however tragic that our statistics still show that the department dealt with 225 battered and 777 sexually abused women in 2001/02 and 1047 neglected children; with the largest number recorded in the Eastvaal. This brings me to the point that, all sister departments must engage in awareness campaigns, which aim at enhancing the protection of children, promoting family life and ubuthu. The campaign must also focus on denouncing the myth about molestation of children thinking that AIDS will be cured.

The abuse of women and children has become so prevalent that the society must stand up and begin to fight this unbearable behaviour. Education of children about their rights is therefore an important prevention strategy. We need to reach more children and reach out to all places of our province.

The significance of the emancipation of our children is by a decree, that which concerns the freedom of life and character, and which is to determine whether that life and character will be radiantly glorious with high and noble virtues. We must however accept that government alone cannot be responsible for the protection of children.

Parents, communities, and church leaders are all called to declare this proclamation: "Child protection is everybody's business!" Teachers alike must take responsibility; teach children about their rights, they will know where they stand in cases of infringement. I again call the criminal justice system to pursue perpetrators resolutely!

This year we must increase our efforts to protect our children. The Human Rights Month is one month, which we are engaging in bringing more awareness on the need for child protection. We have supported a concert planned for 30 March 2002 at the Lowveld Show ground. We will again use this platform, to mobilise men in particular, to take a stand against abuse of women and children.

One of the most exciting realities is the amendment considered for the Child Care Act and the Justice Bill, which will be tabled before the end of this year. This will in terms of content, bring a relief and clear ruling into matters affecting our children.

R26 million is allocated for transfers to not-for-profit organisations. This allocation is meant again to assist in the fight against the abuse and exploitation of children. We seek by our financial commitment from this organisation, services to be provided to both children and families.

It should be noted that this allocation exclude funding to be allocated to home-based care projects. I therefore expect our social workers to prioritise on matters that affect the well being of our children.

Honourable Speaker, we all acknowledge that, childcare is primarily the responsibility of the family, it is however realised that there is an erosion of our traditional trend and notion of a child being raised by an entire society.

This erosion brings to the fore, certain modern replacement, which is by nature representing, to a certain degree norms and standards, which make a complete family. It therefore becomes significant for me to remind our people about the same norms and standards, values that made us Africans in particular, unique in our society "ubuntu".

Crèches play a critical role in this situation. Apart from the role they are playing, crèches must be found in conducive conditions, which are good for the care and welfare of children. It is rather, significant for people to recognise that, ill-tempered, unhealthy environments have a self-defeating quality. It pains me to see, to some extent, conditions at which certain crèches operate.

My department subsidises almost 90 registered crèches for 5 974 children, 164 registered crèches are still waiting for subsidy. Almost 285 are still to be registered. It is important to realise that children form the bases from which a country is born. They are our future leaders.

I wish to stress that conditions at crèches must be conducive for child development. This must be adhered to by all the centres caring for the children under the age of six. It is unfortunate that unless this is put in place, or be implemented as set out in the national guidelines, the department will have to suspend all subsidies.

This means that, our pursuit to national objectives cannot be compromised by principles of selfish interests. When we all discover this, we are less prone to hate democracy. When we look beneath the surface and above, we will see a measure of goodness and know that democracy represents all that is just and perfect for a common society. If we all learn and understand this, we will all seek to defeat or humiliate our common enemy, poverty, underdevelopment and exploitation. We will all be able to defeat in a common course and advise in a common course all organizations that are still failing to grasp the course to social transformation.

Honourable Speaker, there are institutions which are still failing to reflect the geographic spread of our societies. Failing in their management board to include not only black faces, but also an empowerment programme which intends to assist our communities to move away from past difficult experience to the one capable of transforming our societies.

I repeat what I said in my previous year budget speech, I would not accept any funding, let alone partnerships with organisations resisting change. It is no secret that, for more than 300 hundred years, black Africans, have been battered by the iron rod of oppression, frustration by day and bewildered by night by unbelievable injustice and burdened with the ugly weight of discrimination.

If we then force our people to continue to live with these shameful conditions, we are tempted to become bitter and retaliate with a corresponding action. We are not prepared to do that, even to allow it. We will only follow the national objectives and national guidelines set to free this country and its people from all forms of discrimination, poverty and underdevelopment.

We will do so, Honourable Speaker, with our righteous efforts, every ounce of our energy, co-operate with those organisations whose roots are deepened inside our national democratic revolution. I will put this as a demand and condition for assistance to all organisations seeking financial assistance:

i. That unless within the framework of such previously advantaged institutions there is a clear undertaking to transform as an institution, no funding will be allocated; and

ii. That unless within the framework of such previously advantaged institutions, there is a clear plan to transform and assist those disadvantaged communities, no funding will be made available.

Honourable Speaker, our people gave us a mandate. They entrusted us with an agenda to transform this country and we will not betray their trust! Honourable Speaker, we have set aside R58.5 million to transfer to Not-for-profit organisations. This is an increase of 31% compared to the previous year.

This allocation must ensure that priority is given to previously disadvantaged communities. Our information indicates that Not-for-profit organisations provided casework services to 16 176 persons and a further 12 044 people were served through their community work projects. Greater attention will be given to organisations whose special focus is to serve and develop the rural poor.

The Social Welfare Services Programme covers all welfare services to all citizens. Department of Social Services is rendering this service. The service rendered includes organisational development, capacity building and monitoring of the Not-for-profit sector.

Policy goals, based on the White Paper for Developmental Social Welfare and national legislation, remain the key basis upon which services are delivered. The services focus on youth, children and families.

Honourable Speaker, government guidelines amongst others, calls for training institutions and departments to develop appropriate training for child and youth care workers and probation officers, which ensures the necessary knowledge and skills within a developmental approach.

It further calls for additional training for practicing child and youth care workers, youth workers, community workers and probation officers to help facilitate the process of transformation towards a developmental approach, to service delivery, and towards the full transformation of child and youth care system. One of the first phases of this programme, which the department embarked upon, was the awareness campaign. Through this campaign, 94 000 persons were reached by social workers of our department. We realised that there was a demand for government to render these services.

Through this realisation, we took a decision as per the national guidelines, to appoint 21 Assistant Probation Officers on a yearly contract. Through effort and commitment, within a short time, the department had managed to assess 3565 children waiting trial and 760 youths benefited from the diversion programme as an alternative to other sentences or criminal record.

Noting however, Honourable Speaker, the shocking evidence of HIV/AIDS, the threat it has in the economic structures of our societies, in particular the future person power. We came to conclude that, it will in the adverse of these conditions, we engage and develop front-line workers who are not necessarily social workers through poverty alleviation programmes.

This can have a significant impact, especially on matters of counselling of HIV/AIDS survivors. In our test of this model, we are currently engaging volunteers at home-based care centres, who provide similar services, however are remunerated by stipends so that at the end they are motivated. It should be understood however, that what these people are receiving, is not wages.

Our people agree with the call of the President, "Vuk'uzenzele"! They voluntarily are ready to help government remove all the conditions of poverty, insecurity, and injustice that are the fertile soil from which the seed of apartheid was born. We encourage more volunteers, to give their time and purpose to help end our struggle against all these conditions.

After the phasing out of the Khanya Life Care contract and the placement of 250 people from the centre to alternative care, assisted living projects have been established for 30 elderly people in Witbank and 26 in Barberton.

Services to victims of crime are on the increase, with a strong focus on victim support services rendered jointly by provincial and national departments. I wish also to inform the legislature that the Premier officially opened Louieville Women's Support Centre on the 7th March 2002. The centre was refurbished through donations from the North-Rhine Westphalia. We also launched Leseding One Stop Women Support Centre early in the year, which was a joint funding done together with the Australian government, the United Nations and Network on Violence Against Women, of which the department is a partner.

The funding allocated by the Austrian Government will end in September this year and processes are underway for the province to take over the management from the date, in line with the project agreement. On the same program, which I alluded to above, the special focus on disability is funded through the social assistance and social security program.

This also includes funding to stimulation centres, protective workshops and residential care. The department has then allocated R12, 1 million in the form of social assistance for 2002/3 and R321, 6 million in the form of Social grants.

I believe more should be done, Honourable Speaker, for persons with disabilities, to facilitate their integration into the mainstream of our economy.

Substance and alcohol abuse program continues to be youth focused. A special effort is being made by Swartfontein Treatment Centre to reach young people through their community outreach and treatment program. Over a period of twelve months, 241 patients have been admitted.

We also have Hendrina Secure Care Centre. The centre is providing services to 158 children who are awaiting trial. Given its location, there is still a reluctance to utilise this facility, despite the fact that, there are children in police and prison cells. The time has come for our communities and us to revisit our approach to children, who have committed serious offences, to ensure that such services are cost-effective and accessible.

I therefore engaged my department, to investigate the possible outsourcing of this facility, to maximise its potential. The department has set aside R46, 8 million for Social Welfare services.

It is rather proper to indicate that, at times success is a dream, during tide and agonising times, you give up, you feel you are loosing out, but I think, no matter what, tough times never last, but tough people do. That is the secret of survival and hope. It is the secret, which Angelo Maya kept high as a domestic worker until freedom was won. It is the same spirit, which begins to brighten the future of our country.

The story of Impumelelo Poultry Project reflects this spirit. In April 2001, fifteen people came together to establish Impumelelo in Hlau-Hlau, who then received R130 000 from poverty relief project. People better knew that our government was calling for them to do things on their own.

They knew that the healing of this nation is but a long way to go. They too today are heroes and heroines of a campaign called by our President "Vuk'uzenzele" we call on our communities, to intensify our work and will on the question of entrenching in our agenda programs, programs that will help our communities to wake up and work.

Honourable Speaker, the chicken broiler project led by the group I referred to above is able to give profit to each member of the group every month between R400 and R600. Every month from each profit, they have a savings of 10%. What a magnificent contribution to job creation! As we speak, the group has employed their first temporary worker.

Let us acknowledge this, Honourable Speaker, that development concerns people- people experiencing the reality within which they find themselves, day by day and moment by moment, feeling its implications and seeing its practical functioning around them. It must be indicated that the pertinent focusing of development thought on people and their everyday experiences of the life-world provides no guarantee for solution of the development problem.

The problem as acknowledged spans far wider areas and involves so many aspects that it would be naïve to seek the final answers or the resolution in a mere shift of emphasis. Many projects have similar stories; at least we know of 19 projects where participants are sharing a consistent income between R50 and R800.

All the projects together involve not a lesser number, but 1310 people. 99% are women. If we add to this statistics, the number of dependants will obviously add more. I wish to also commit the department to implement on the 43 projects, which have been approved by Department of Labour, which are meant for training.

I must as well indicate that we have so far trained 88 project participants in micro-business management. Our focus this year will be more on administration and management of poverty projects.

Finally, Honourable Speaker, one of the ways in which the ideas of a new development approach are embodied, comes to the fore in the emphasis on economic advantages. In the final analysis, a collective political will is needed to address the development and the imbalances of the past.

We hope therefore, Honourable Speaker, that by the end of 2002/2003, the department will have managed to deliver as in the mandate of our objectives. We will have reached out to the poor who continue to be victims of experiences, though our hope is that, gradually:

"...Wounds are healing,

And there is a hope to start another day with verve and devotion..."

As I conclude, Honourable Speaker, allow me to express my heartfelt thanks to all the hidden heroes, family members, friends and co-workers.

I am overwhelmed with your selfless effort. Effort you have put behind me; you were always on my side even when I felt the entire workload was becoming too much to bear. Honourable Speaker, it is difficulty in assigning a hierarchy, since it has been a team effort from the beginning and it continues to be:

* To the entire leadership of our Province, both in and out of government I have to be where I am because of your unsparing effort and sacrifice;

* Premier NJ Mahlangu, your leadership and challenges you put before us, before the legislature, before our entire province is enough to re-build our society;

* Cabinet colleagues, your support has constantly offered encouraging words and gradually transferred my knowledge into higher heights;

* To the HOD and staff members, officials of Department, your commitment to my unbelievable schedule touched my heart, your contributions will impact positively towards the lives of many people, your loyalty and knowledge will continue to inspire me to greater accomplishment;

* To my assistants, my core staff in my office, amazing dynamos, who remained devoted to the vision that what we are doing will make a difference, even when it meant staying up all night away from husbands and children, friends, even following me all over the province, at all times remaining cheerfully and supportive; and

* To my family, you have made me to stride confidently, through thick and thin, you stood by my side, and even high tides of the sea could not stop the love you always spare for me. Your support will brighten my future.

And finally, thanks to all those who continue to support us, even behind scenes. You all did not accept that something was impossible. You are giants in my life.

This budget as we propose today, must become a beacon light of hope, which will light the pathway to better and sustainable quality of life from which the rising sun of the Africa and its people will connect!

I thank you!

Issued by: Office of the MEC for Social Services and Population Development, 15 March 2002