In 1994, several critical challenges faced the new social welfare function. These included inequitable service provision, fragmentation of services and services which failed to meet the development needs of the people. The past five years have seen the development and implementation of policies and programmes to address these problems. The following information provides a chronological overview of some of the achievements of the Department of Welfare over the past five years:

1994

• The new national Department for Welfare was formed in July 1994. There are now nine provincial Departments of Welfare, exercising concurrent powers with the national Department.

• All policies and legislation introduced by the Department since 1994 were geared towards phasing out disparities in social welfare programmes.

• Consultations on the White Paper for Social Welfare began in 1995. The White Paper was approved and gazetted in 1997. There is now widespread agreement and commitment in the welfare community to achieving the vision, mission and objectives of developmental social welfare.

• The process to develop a population policy started with a green paper in April 1995 and the White Paper on Population Policy for South Africa was gazetted in April 1998.

• An investigation into the transformation of the child and youth care system commenced and resulted in a policy framework as well as the implementation of successful pilot projects. These pilot projects will be replicated.

• The restructuring of social security began with the process to amalgamate the 14 different systems that existed pre-1994. This amalgamation on to one computer data base was completed in 1997. Initiatives were also introduced to reduce fraud and corruption. Beneficiaries are being re-registered in order to ensure clean and accurate data. Backlogs in the processing of applications for social security grants have been reduced and customer service is improving.

• Policy and programme shifts were initiated in 1996 to transform welfare services, specifically on ageing; the transformation of the child and youth care system; probation services; services for people with disabilities and HIV/AIDS; the upgrading of secure care facilities; the implementation of the National Plan of Action for Children; and the formulation of comprehensive child care legislation.

• The National Interim Consultative Committee on Developmental Social Services (NICC) was established in 1996 to assist in the establishment of a legitimate, participatory national governance mechanism to advise the Minister and promote consultation on major issues in social welfare. A draft Bill is being finalised for a permanent governance structure.

• An investigation into the creation of an enabling environment of non-profit organisations began in 1996 and culminated with the promulgation of the Not-Profit Organisations Act in 1997. This Act contributes to a more enabling environment for the non-profit sector, by removing the need for state authority to fundraise, emphasising voluntary registration and good governance.

• An investigation into the provision of social assistance to children living in poverty commenced in 1996. The outcome of this investigation was the introduction of the Child Support Grant (CSG) - a cash benefit for children under the age of 7 years – in April 1998.

• In July 1996 the Department launched the Flagship Programme for Unemployed Women with Children under the age of 5 years as part of its strategy to alleviate poverty and to implement the new developmental paradigm as stated in the White Paper for Social Welfare. The best practice models will be replicated.

• The Drug Master Plan was released in November 1997 and provides a comprehensive framework to combat drug abuse and drug trafficking.

• A Social Welfare Action Plan on HIV/AIDS was developed to focus the role of the welfare sector in addressing this epidemic.

• Consultations on a new welfare financing policy began in 1997. In 1999 a policy on the financing of social welfare services delivered by non-governmental organisations was finalised.

• The process to develop a Departmental Policy on an Emergency and Relief Fund began in 1997 and was finalised in June 1998. This policy is linked to the White Paper on Disaster Management.

• A strategic financial model for the costing of social welfare services was developed in 1997.

• A conditional grant of R200 million was allocated to the national Department to upgrade the financial management and administration systems in the welfare function, including social security. It will enhance the shift to a more equitable allocation of the welfare budget between social security and social welfare services.

• The transformation of the former Interim Council for Social Work began in 1997 and culminated with the establishment of the South African Council for Social Service Professions in 1999.

• Capacity building programmes for middle and senior managers in national and provincial welfare departments; the transformation of curriculum for training institutions; and the reorientation of serving social workers began in 1997. A Human Resource Development Summit in 1998 provided the stepping stone towards the development of an integrated and holistic human resource development strategy for the welfare sector.

• Welfare was appointed the lead Department for the Victim Empowerment Programme (VEP) under the National Crime Prevention Strategy (NCPS). A number of 24-hour services for survivors are being established and existing services will be expanded.

• The Department accessed R50 million from the Poverty Alleviation Fund and supported 1 133 development projects through these funds. A total of 93 090 poor people benefited directly. In 1999, 2015 projects received funds from the R203 million poverty allocation for 1998/99.

• An investigation into the delivery of welfare services by Local Government was undertaken and will be finalised. Provincial departments are developing models of delivery at local level in both a rural and urban context.

• A review of the provision of social security to the disabled commenced.

• The public welfare sector committed itself to allocating 20% of its budget to social welfare services and 80% to social security. Data mining and clean-up operations within social security are intended to generate savings.

• In 1998 early warning financial systems were introduced. These systems are meant to assist departments with the management of their budgets and allows for the pro-active management of possible over-expenditure.

• The National Population Unit started with the formulation of the National Action Plan to Implement the Population White Paper.

• As part of the preparations for the fifth anniversary of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), held in Cairo in September 1994, the ICPD+5 Country Report for South Africa was tabled in Cabinet during January 1999.

• A new Welfare Payment and Information Service is being established which will ensure the complete re-engineering of the social grant payment and administration system in all nine provinces. Through a tender process, the Department of Welfare will find a private sector business partner which will undertake the venture.

• An inter-departmental task team finalised a report on a comprehensive, integrated social security system.