• Budget Speech by Dr Zola Skweyiya, Minister for Welfare, Population and Development, National Assembly. 
• Estimate of Expenditure (Vote 35)
• 1998 - 1999 Annual Report

TABLE OF CONTENTS

MINISTER'S FOREWORD
FOR THE 1999/2000 ANNUAL REPORT

In the past year the Ministry of Welfare, Population and Development has begun to take decisive steps to transform the welfare system in our country. We are committed to improving the lives of the poor, vulnerable and marginalised in our society. This is the only way we can create the caring society envisaged by President Thabo Mbeki. There is still much work that needs to be done. The response of the Department of Welfare to this challenge is detailed in this report.

The department has put in place mechanisms to ensure that poverty relief funds reach community projects in the poorest areas of our country. We are enhancing the ability of the department to monitor and evaluate the poverty relief programme. Various projects to improve the coverage and efficiency of the social security system are being undertaken. Across the entire department, competencies in financial management are being substantially improved in order to comply with and implement the Public Finance Management Act. The staff of the department are also receiving training in project management, human resource planning and performance management.

My colleagues in the provinces and I in our regular inter-governmental meetings have made a number of decisions that will ensure the more effective implementation of programmes in the entire welfare sector. We are committed to an auditing of all welfare infrastructure and the establishment of a joint monitoring and evaluation facility. We appreciate the social development assistance that we have received from the donor community and look forward to a continuing partnership in this regard.

The events of the past year have underlined the importance of a regional focus in our efforts to promote the social development of our people. Experiences in Sub Saharan Africa point to the limitations of existing policy prescriptions to respond sufficiently and effectively to the challenges of poverty and economic development within a globalizing world. Women still bear the brunt of economic and social crises and very little progress has been made on the improvement of their status. Human Development Indicators for the SADC region have been drastically affected by the devastating impacts of HIV/AIDS. Debt servicing and insufficient economic growth has had negative impacts on our governments' capacity to deliver on social development.

Recent disasters in the Southern African region, including the floods in Mozambique and parts of South Africa, demonstrate the inadequacy of national and regional capacity to manage the economic and social devastation of these shocks. Conflicts, ongoing wars and struggles over the distribution of resources continue to beset the region. The democratic South Africa of today is a product of international solidarity and the people of South Africa have to respond to the humanitarian needs of the people of Angola.

All of this requires a deepening of the partnership between civil society, business and government both within our country and across the region.

Transformation of social welfare services in our country requires moving away from a traditional approach towards designing and providing services that lead to self-sufficiency and sustainability. The central theme to this approach is social development and a critical aspect of this approach is the recognition that while there is a need to address the symptoms of problems through material relief grants, sustainable development strategies are those that focus on building institutional capacity.

As part of the transformation process the Department is developing an Anti-Poverty Strategy and the Poverty Relief Fund is an important part of this Strategy. The Department's aim is to mainstream a development approach in all its projects and programmes, with provinces playing a critical development, management and facilitation role in relation to anti-poverty programmes.

Within this context a partnership model aimed at ensuring effective and efficient management of the Poverty Relief Programme was developed. The model recognizes the role played by the partners at different levels and includes:

• The IDT as disbursement agency
• Civil society organizations
• Established NGOs
• Emerging organizations with potential - particularly in the remote rural areas.

The following contracts have been developed to ensure effective management of the different relationships and ensure accountability and clarification of roles:

• An agreement between the National Department of Welfare and IDT;
• An agreement between the national and provincial departments as implementing agencies;
• A service level agreement between provincial departments and Cluster Coordinators (CCs); and
• A grant agreement between the National Department and the projects.

Overview Of The Poverty Relief Programme

As a conditional grant for poverty relief the Ministry of Finance awarded the Department of Welfare R50m in the FY 1997/98. This allocation was disbursed to 1133 community-based projects. While there were some successes, there was also concern with the lack of systems and poor accountability measures and sustainability of projects. The process of evaluating the FY 1998/99 R203m Programme is currently in progress and a tender has been awarded.

Considering the problems experienced in the FY 1997/98 allocation, permission was obtained from the Department of State Expenditure to roll over funds in the development of disbursement/management systems for the FY 1998/99 R203m allocation. The FY 1998/99 R203m programme is currently in progress as the envisaged project cycle is longer than one financial year.

The Department is considering financing models that will promote the establishment and growth of development models and contribute to local economic development, and is pursuing these measures in the design and implementation of a medium to long-term anti-poverty strategy. To date, the model has been implemented with modifications by all provinces. However, the following concerns have been raised by both DCDSS and MINMEC on some aspects of the model:

• The role of the IDT
• The role of governance and governance structures
• Communication; and
• Monitoring, evaluation and reporting.

To address these concerns the Department has solicited UNDP support through its 'Development Support Facility'. A consultant has been made available to the Department and a task team comprising of senior management at both national and provincial departments has been established to work closely with him. A total of five manuals in the series of six to be developed for management of the Programme have already been completed

The New Approach

The following approach forms the basis for future allocations of the Poverty Relief Funds and the overall implementation of the Programme:

• Prioritization of provinces in terms of poverty levels based on reliable scientific data.
• Shift from projects to programmes in line with Local Economic Development initiatives and participatory needs assessment processes at community level.
• A shift from needs to asset based approach with focus on the Integrated Rural Development Strategy in partnership with other Departments and key partners and civil society structures.
• Employment of development workers to meet the needs of poor communities.

Critical Issues

• There is concern with the high number of projects that are losing funds due to administrative problems such as banking details. This implies that deserving organizations and communities might be disadvantaged because of poor infrastructure and lack of capacity, an indication that existing staff is not reaching remote rural areas. Employment of development workers drawn from beneficiary communities is one of the most feasible ways through which this problem could be addressed.
• The skills audit indicated that a large percentage of Cluster Coordinators were newly formed organizations that required capacity building to be able to provide the necessary support to projects. There was a delay in commencing the capacity building of these organizations as well as a delay with their initial payment. This resulted in tensions between different partners in the programme.

While a number of provinces are already working closely with other Departments, close collaboration remains the biggest challenge facing the Department of Welfare. This has become even more critical with the implementation of the Presidential Lead Programme- the Integrated Rural Development Strategy.

Achievements and Challenges

While it is still too early to determine the success of the approach used to disburse and manage the R203m, there have been some benefits. For example:

• The screening process through the Project Readiness Assessment identified projects that either did not qualify or were not ready for funding, thereby freeing funds that were redirected to deserving communities.
• Staff has benefited greatly from skill transfer and capacity building provided through the programme. The appointment of a Programme Manager will also result in capacity building through skill transfer at various levels of departmental staff.
• Additional staff/contract workers employed through the Administration budget of the programme will complement the provincial staff capacity.
• Capacity building of partner organizations will result in institutional capacity, which did not exist in some districts and regions before involvement with the programme.

Attention to the following challenges will lead to improved service delivery to poor communities:

• A shift from small unsustainable projects to programmes
• A shift from needs based models to programmes located within the sustainable livelihoods approach
• Close collaboration with other government departments
• Rural-based projects to be aligned with the Integrated Sustainable Rural Development Strategy
• Development workers to be identified and appointed as a matter of urgency from beneficiary communities. This will be of significance in addressing capacity problems at local level and ensuring that the Poverty Relief funds benefit the poorest of the poor and deserving individuals and communities.
• Training of development workers in development management and facilitation is given immediate attention.

Status Report on the Poverty Relief Programme

The report of the Auditor-General on the Budget Vote of the Department for 1998/99, raised concerns about the increasing proportion of under-expenditure by the Department of Welfare since 1996/97.

A major part of the under expenditure in 1998/99 was attributed to the Poverty Relief Fund. The Department received R203 million in October 1998/99 from the Infrastructure and Investment Fund for its Poverty Relief Programme.

Between October 1998 and end of the financial year, the Department designed and developed a model of disbursement that is consistent with its aim of mainstreaming a development approach in all its projects and programmes. Since the Department lacked the capacity to disburse the funds a disbursing agency was identified in the form of the IDT.

Before the end of the 1998/99 financial year, the Department transferred R81 million to the Independent Development Trust (IDT). The transfer of funds was paid from the suspense account for control purposes as a number of administrative and legal procedures with regard to individual projects were to be finalised. The amount transferred to the IDT was therefore not reflected as expenditure in 1998/99.

Approval was received from the Department of State Expenditure to roll-over R202 950 000 of the Poverty Relief Allocation to the 1999/2000 financial year. The original allocation of R50 million for 1999/2000 was reduced to R40 million. The total amount of funds for Poverty Relief in 1999/2000 was therefore R242 950 000.

The allocation of funds for the period is shown in the table.

The overall expenditures of the total amount of R203 million as at 1 March 2000 is R133,108 622.05.

The balance of R69,891 377.95 is to be paid to poverty projects in keeping with the disbursement cycle of tranches allocated according to 40%, 50% and 10% on project completion.

Eighty six percent (86%) of funds due to provincial poverty projects have been disbursed and is close to the target of ninety percent (90%).

THE CORRECTIVE MEASURES THAT HAVE BEEN TAKEN

A number of corrective measures are underway to address the problems in the Department of Welfare's poverty relief programme.

1. One of these measures is a financial audit of the poverty relief disbursements made in the 1997/1998 and the 1999/2000 financial years. Arthur Andersen and Company have been appointed to audit the R50 million disbursed in 1997/98. The State Tender Board has approved the use of a restricted tender method to fast track the appointment of auditors for the R203 million being disbursed in the current financial year.
2. An audit of the skills, organisational structure and organisational processes in the entire department will be completed by 31 March and this information will be used to restructure the department and ensure effective human resource planning in line with service delivery objectives.
3. The Minister held a special MINMEC meeting with provincial MEC's on Friday 24 March 2000 on the poverty relief programme. The meeting reviewed the responsibilities and respective roles of national and provincial departments with regard to the full range of issues on poverty relief, including that of disbursement agencies and NGO project co-ordinators.
4. Since October last year I have been holding consultations with a number of faith based organisations and NGO's working in the area of poverty relief and social development. These consultations will be concluded by the end of March this year and a plan drawn up on ways of improving the planning, capacity building, disbursement, monitoring and impact assessment processes of the poverty relief programme.
5. Additional ways of disbursing funds to provinces and national projects are under consideration. These include a partnership approach with NGO's, faith based organisations and intergovernmental departments at all levels.
6. Protocols for these partnerships are to be drawn up specifically for the implementation of the Poverty Relief Programme.
   Protocols for partnerships will have acceptable guidelines for the selection of projects, disbursement procedures, financial and professional accountability, reporting, communication, monitoring and evaluation.
   The New Public Finance and Management Act sets very specific guidelines for the allocation and use of public funds.
   We cannot act outside these guidelines. We will have to ensure that the national and provincial departments as well as other partners have the requisite procedures and systems for financial control, monitoring and accountability.
7. At a political level: I have proposed that a sub committee of MINMEC be set up to assist in providing National oversight of the poverty relief programme.

The Minister has also urged MEC's to establish Provincial Poverty Relief structures to provide provincial level monitoring and assessment functions. These structures should include representation from the NGO, religious and community sectors.

Promoting Public-Private Partnerships

To contribute to the building of effective public-private partnerships, several new laws have been passed by cabinet in the past few years. The challenge in the past year for the Department has been to set the administrative systems in place to successfully implement the NPO Act. To date a total of 5871 organisations have been registered in terms of the NPO Act.

In terms of prescribed procedure, a model constitution has been developed and is issued on request to organisations applying for registration.

A draft model code of good practice and guidelines for reporting has been published for comment and will be finalised in the first quarter of the next financial year.

A capacity building programme has been established to improve the ability of public servants and individuals from the NPO sector, to guide and inform NPO's (at as local a level as possible) on the NPO Act. The project was divided into two phases:

Phase 1: 30 persons from various parts of the country and from the public and private sector participated in a five-day training programme.

Phase 2: 1 500 individuals have been trained through a total 45 sub-regional level workshops.

Liaison With Other Organs Of State and Interested Parties

The National Development Agency Act of 1998 provided for the establishment of a mechanism in partnership with civil society organisations whose primary role was the funding of NPO's. The establishment of the NDA will address funding difficulties faced by non-profit organisations.

NPO's And Taxation

The issue of NPO's and extending tax benefits have been discussed for many years. The Directorate served on the sub-committee of the Katz Commission to look at and make proposals regarding extended tax benefits for NPO's. The Katz Commission presented its report (Ninth Report of the Commission) in March 1999 and the Portfolio Committee on Finance held public hearings in December 1999. The final report from the Department of Finance is still outstanding. The Department will continue to support efforts to contribute to a more favourable tax environment for NPO's.

Challenge For The Year Ahead

The following areas will be prioritised in the coming year:

• Manage the transitional arrangements of organisations from Fund-raising registration to meet requirements of the NPO Act.
• Finalise and implement the Codes of Good Practice for nonprofit organisations, donors, resource mobilisation and Boards of organisations.
• Finalise reporting guidelines. This will be the first time that registered organisations will report in accordance to the NPO Act. Draft Reporting Guidelines have been developed and consulted with stakeholders. The final guidelines will be distributed on request and training sessions conducted in at least three prioritised provinces with organisations to serve as reference organisations.
• Continue to lobby and advocate for incentives to nonprofit organisations.

The Constitution of South Africa Section 27(1) states that all the citizens are entitled to social security and if they are unable to provide for themselves to social assistance.

Social Security comprises of 4 components namely:
a) Social Assistance
b) Social Insurance
c) Social Relief
d) Savings

The Department of Welfare is currently administering the social assistance programme (the non contributory social benefits programme) to the most vulnerable members of our society.

The most vulnerable members of our society are the aged, persons with disabilities and children. Whilst the social assistance is not aimed at meeting the total needs of individuals, it is a means to enable the most basic needs to be met.

The Scope of coverage of the vulnerable members of our society is very good. It is 70% for the aged, 50% for persons with disabilities, and 15% with the target of 30% for children. Rendering an efficient and effective service to beneficiaries is the present priority.

The key focus areas for this period was to improve the delivery of social assistance and the following projects were undertaken to attain this objective:

a) The Re-Registration Process
Re-Registration process - stages of completion as at March 2000

The funds allocated to the provinces during this period are as follows:

Allocation of Funds - Conditional Grant 1999/2000

The Audit of the Re-Registration process. To ensure that the data is correct and valid, an audit of the process was commissioned during this process, which was planned to commence in April 2000.

b) Infrastructure Roll out in the Process

To insure the effective delivery of services to rural and deep rural areas, Eastern Cape, Mpumalanga and the Northern Province were identified for the roll out of fax, telephone and data lines.

c) Mobile Units

The services 127 mobile units to the value of R3.9 million were purchased from the Department of Home Affairs and deployed to areas where no home affairs offices existed, to assist beneficiaries to take down applications for identity documents.

d) Developing the Capacity of staff for Effective Service Delivery

A bosberaad was held on the 25 and 26 October 1999 to take steps towards professionalising social security personnel. One of the recommendations from the bosberaad was to develop a Charter of Rights for beneficiaries. Significant progress has been made in these areas. A training manual for the training of social security personnel for effective and efficient service delivery was also finalized during this period.

e) The operation centre was made fully operational during this period and an average of 150 inquiries are handled per day.

Child Support Grant

The following strategies have been implemented to facilitate the increase in child support grant:

1. Relaxation of the regulations.
2. Mass Communication strategies.
3. Research on the impact of the grant on families and communities.
4. Implementation of regional specific project plans.
5. Additional Funding for staff and transport.

Take up rate of children as at March 2000 are as follows:

The funds allocated to the provinces to enable an increase in take up rates are as follows:

Child Support Grant Funding

The distribution of beneficiaries as at 31 March 2000 is outlined below:

Social Assistance Beneficiaries ( Provincial Breakdown)

Payment per grant type as at 31 March 2000

Welfare Payment and Information Service (WPIS)

In 1999 the Department went on an RFI to establish the extent of knowledge and skills available in the private sector as well as the suitability of companies to form a business relationship with the Department of Welfare. This, together with an extensive consultative process with provincial welfare departments and other relevant national departments, culminated in the production of the Tender Specification for the development of the new Welfare Payment and Information service.

Following several discussions with the State Tender Board, Department of State Expenditure and Department of Finance, suggestions made were incorporated and the Department submitted the Tender Document to the State Tender Board for approval, which was granted. During the consultative process, the project management team was advised to revise the Project Tender process and to seek advice on project financing. Pursuant to this advice the department submitted a tender to the Tender Board to procure the said advisory services. The Department is planning to appoint advisors in March/April 2000 who will assist in refining the User Requirement Specifications to ensure that all pertinent Public Private Partnerships imperatives are clearly articulated in the Tender Document. Unless advised otherwise, the tender will be published in September and the preferred bidder/partner will be appointed early in 2001.

Information Management

In response to the need to readily have access to welfare information as expressed by welfare stakeholders, and the decision by the Departmental Committee on Developmental Social Services (DCDSS) and the Departmental Audit Committee to prioritise information and information management, the Department of Welfare is planning to develop an Information Management Strategy. This is meant to facilitate the provision of real time management information obtained from computerised information systems in collaboration with all welfare stakeholders.

Social Security Expenditure 1999/2000

Chapter Three: Developmental Social Welfare Services

The objective of social welfare is to promote the well-being of individuals, families and communities. welfare services are part of a broad menu of social services which aim to enhance the quality of all South Africans and which provide an enabling environment for children, youth, women families and older persons to achieve their aspirations. A number of initiatives have been taken to ensure the transformation of social services within a developmental framework, including a policy on developmental social welfare services, a new Welfare Financing Policy and Developmental Quality Assurance (DQA) management instrument.

Provincial Breakdown of Welfare Services Spending (Allocation per province for 1999/2000)

Welfare Service Allocations By Sector (excluding social security)

MANAGEMENT OF AGEING

International Year For Older Persons

The International Year for Older Persons, 1999 (IYOP) was successfully commemorated at national, provincial and local level. The promotion and the protection of the rights of older persons were central to all programmes and the active participation of children and young people in most of the programmes confirmed the relevance and importance of an intergenerational approach to ageing.

One of the success stories of IYOP was the essay competition. Approximately 21 000 stories written by children about their parents and highlighted the importance of older persons as role models and caregivers were received. The stories provide an ideal opportunity for research regarding young people's understanding of old age and their perception about the status of older persons in society.

Restoration of The Dignity of Older Persons

Operation Dignity was launched in the Northern Province during November 1999. The objective of the project is to promote the restoration of the dignity of older persons through the development of community plans of action, and the establishment of humane conditions at pension pays points. It is envisaged that Operation Dignity will be replicated in all the provinces.

The following mechanisms were developed to address elder abuse, neglect and ill treatment in an effective manner:

• A national strategy on elder abuse was developed in collaboration with the Department of Health and stakeholders in the field of ageing.
• Aged Persons Act (Act 81 of 1967) was amended to criminalize the abuse and neglect of older persons and to democratise the management structures of home for older persons.
• The fist draft of new legislation on the Status of Older Persons has been developed. It is envisaged that the Bill on the Status of Older Persons will be tabled during the current parliamentary session. The new legislation will replace The Aged Persons Act (Act 81 of 1967).
• Cabinet also approved the ratification of United Nations Resolution 46/91 that defines the guiding principles for Older Persons. These that will be reflected in all policies and legislation.

Development Of Integrated Community Based Care And Support Models

A conceptual framework for an integrated community based model was developed and will be tested and further developed by means of two pilot projects in the Free State. The residential care policy as well as the minimum standards for frail care and community-based care and support will be tested as part of the pilot project, which will be launched on 1 March 2000. A study to develop an appropriate model for assisted living will be piloted in Mpumalanga.

New Policy Framework On Ageing

The discussion group on ageing engaged in the development of a policy framework on ageing for the period 2000 - 2010. A draft South African Declaration on Ageing has been developed which will be part of the new policy framework. The policy framework will include minimum standards for residential as well community based care and support.

Transformation Of Child And Youth Care System

Sectoral Budget Support to the amount of R11, 7million was received from the Netherlands Government for the 1998/99 financial year. This was to ensure the integration of the work of the IMC, currently referred to as the Transformation of the Child and Youth Care System (TCYCS) into the line functions of the relevant national and provincial departments. A plan of action in this regard is currently drafted.

The outputs of the initiatives started by the IMC are:

• Four of the original pilot projects have been translated into learning sites and will function as such until the end of March 2000. The projects have developed practice models and guidelines, functioned as best practice models and provided training and support to other make a difference projects.
• The idea of 'seed' money to an NGO, department or residential care facility as a once off amount to facilitate the TCYCS through new initiatives was well received and 11 projects received funding.
• The training and capacity building program included the following:

• In the field of child and youth care 25 people received training in 'Transformational Leadership' and 'Developmental Supervision', both of which were conducted by the School for Child and Youth Care, University of Victoria, Canada.
• Training and capacity building of officials within the Western Cape Department of Education reinforced the transformation process initiated at the said department.
• In January 1999 the Developmental Quality Assurance (DQA) programme was introduced as an official joint programme of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Young People at Risk and the national and provincial Departments of Welfare. The DQA was to be piloted within residential care facilities for a 12-month period in at least 6 provinces, so as to test:

• A developmental approach by combining a monitoring tool with a capacity building process;
• A team approach combining both government and non-government personnel

DQA's have been completed at 30 residential care facilities in Gauteng, Western cape, Eastern Cape and Kwa-Zulu Natal so far.

Project Go

This national and provincial inter-sectoral project aims to unblock the residential child and youth care system, to assess each and every child entering the criminal justice system and to prevent the movement of children deeper into the system. According to statistics for January-December 1999, the project impacted on the lives of 18,063 children as follows:

• 6 645 completed reviews
• 5 864 children and young people diverted out of the criminal justice system by way of a range diversion programmes, offered by NGOs, CBOs as well as Provincial and local Department of Welfare practitioners
• 1 230 children and young people awaiting trial moved out of correctional facilities
• 364 diversions via family preservation
• 806 children prevented from going deeper into the system
• 2 292 children at level 3 & 4 returned to their families
• 862 children were moved out of places of safety

The Cabinet moratorium on the movement of children deeper into the system expired at the end of November 1999. The project now has to be institutionalized in provinces, however negotiations are underway to find out whether there is a need for an interim mechanism for coordination purposes.

Transformation of Probation Services

The Probation Services Amendment Bill has not served before Cabinet as anticipated. A further round of consultations was held with 80 probation officers from all 9 provinces during the Western Cape Provincial Training Workshop in November 1999. The department is hopeful that the Amendment Bill will become an Act during 2000.

Probation officers and assistant probation officers have continued to receive training and re-training on:

An Assistant Probation officers project was set up in the Western Cape and Northern Province.

The Degree in Probation Practice1 is gaining significant momentum and has attracted many practicing professionals. Exploratory discussions were held with Rand Afrikaans University and the University of Port Elizabeth regarding initiating a Degree in Probation Practice as from the 2000 academic year.

A number of provinces held provincial probation workshops where valuable inputs for the national department were given. The Probation Advocacy Group, a provincial consultative mechanism, met once during the past year to consider issues relating to:

• The Child Justice Bill
• The new institutional arrangements within the Social Services Professions Council and the future role of Probation Services
• The One Stop Early Intervention Services planning process
• Provincial progress reports from probation practitioners and assistant probation officers.

Between August 1996 and December 1999, 297 staff members at different secure care facilities were trained in the five modules of Basic Qualification Secure Care. Provision has been made in the TCYCS budget for the continuation of training.

Secure Care - progress to date

R7701 was rolled over to the 1999/2000 financial year to enable 4 provinces2 to complete their facilities. 83% of the budget has been expended to date. The bulk of the remaining 17% will be utilized for additions to the Sonop Secure Care Centre in Britz. The table on page 16 highlights the present situation

Child Care Legislation

Child Care Act 74 of 1983

The Child Care Amendment Act 13 of 1999 came into operation on 1 January 2000. The main purpose of the amendments was to provide for a right to appeal against certain orders relating to children, for the establishment of secure care facilities, for the prohibition against the sexual exploitation of children and to make further provision for the estimation of a person's age in certain proceedings.

New child care legislation

The Minister for Welfare, Population and Development together with the Minister for Justice requested the South African Law Commission to appoint a Project Committee to Review of the Child Care Act. The aim is to draft comprehensive childcare legislation that should be compatible with the provisions of the South African Constitution, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child. The Department of Welfare is the principal of the Child Care Act 74 of 1983 and is represented on the Project Committee.

A drafter has been appointed to assist the Law Commission in managing the new legislation process. Sufficient time is needed for a further consultative process and for the publishing of a draft Bill for comment. Only thereafter a revised draft Bill will be tabled in Parliament.

African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child

1. The Department of Welfare was responsible for documentation towards ratification of the charter. Parliament approved ratification and South Africa deposited its instrument of accession to the African Children's Charter.

National plan of action for action

2. The NPA is a long-term process for implementing actions for the survival, protection, development and participation of children in South Africa - The Department of Welfare submitted a report to supplement the Initial Country Report of South Africa on the Convention on the Rights of the Child to the United Nations. This report was discussed in Geneva during January 2000.

Child Abuse and Neglect

1. According to statistics released by the South African Police Service (SAPS), the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit (FCS), the number of child abuse cases reported from 1 January 1999 to 30 June 1999 has increased. Rape statistics for 1995 was 10 037 and 8 683 by the end of June 1999.
2. The development of a protocol document on child protection was finalized and launched in provinces during 1999. Active participation is taking place amongst role-players on an inter-sectoral basis and in each province a provincial child protection committee has been established. Training took place in all provinces to equip various disciplines on the effective management of child abuse.
3. The national child protection register is in the process of being computerized. It is foreseen that the first phase of data collection will be finalized at the end of the year.
4. The national child protection week was launched on 30 May 1999. The theme for the week was: 'Children's Rights are Human Rights: Protect me, Respect me, Educate me, Care for me and Listen to me'. The Welfare Day, May 31 1999 was successfully celebrated at Soshanguve and the community participated actively.
5. The Office on the Status of the Child at the Presidency also embarked on a National Children's Day, which was held at the Johannesburg Zoo Lake, on 6 November 1999. Approximately 50 000 families attended the event. All national Departments, NGOs, provincial departments and CBOs participated in the event.

Registrar of Adoptions - Statistics

1. 571 new adoptions were registered.
2. The International Social Service dealt with 80 adoption enquiries.
3. 1 978 enquiries of origin were received.

Foster Care

The draft discussion document on minimum standards for Foster Care has been negotiated with provinces and the document will be finalized by the end of 2000. A draft discussion paper on foster care for the revision of the Child Care Act has been submitted to the Law Commission . The document addresses the placement of HIV/AIDS infected and affected children and proposes a new thinking of permanency planning for children in alternative care and various options regarding the extension of court orders.

Integrated Justice System

In the past year the Department of Welfare continued its participation in the Integrated Justice System and is represented on the IJS Board. A brief progress report on current projects is outlined below.

Court Process Project

This project aims at designing a model court to ensure the smooth flow of dockets and information between the CJS departments. The model will also have a scheduling function, to avoid duplication in courts. Seventeen tenders are being evaluated and it is anticipated that a tender will be awarded in April/ May 2000. The pilot project will be carried out in Johannesburg and Durban and will impact on probation services for children and adults as well as the welfare residential care facilities accommodating children.

Awaiting Trial Project

This project aims to reduce the case cycle time of the awaiting trial population and is in response to the overcrowding in prisons and welfare residential care facilities. The project is being piloted in Port Elizabeth, Durban, Pietermaritzburg, Empangeni, Pretoria, Johannesburg, Middelburg and Polls Moore Prison in Cape Town and exploratory meetings have already taken place in Bloemfontein and Kimberley. Provincial HODs have nominated their officials for the respective teams and to date the project has complemented the Project Go initiatives. The outcomes of the 6 pilots are being audited, before national rollout will be considered.

Management Information System

The purpose of this project is to investigate, design and implement an automated system to provide critical information to measure and manage the justice system. The system will enable the 4 core departments to operate as a single integrated process-driven enterprise. As appropriate Provincial Welfare infrastructure is not readily available to ensure Welfare's full participation, negotiations were started with the provinces to look at a readiness plan for provincial and national departments. SITA will assist the Department in this initiative.

Photographic Identification System

This project aims to provide positive identification of every person entering the criminal justice system and will greatly assist probation officers to positively identify some of their old clients, posing as new clients under a different name.

Development Toolset

This project aims to ensure alignment of the key business areas of the 4 core departments in terms of strategic management, process management, HRM &HRD, Information management, Finances and Logistics. A range of departmental and joint work sessions involving all levels of management was conducted to verify processes. All of this will culminate in a tender for a 'toolkit'.

An audit of IJS Projects was done, impacting on the VEP, One Stop Early Intervention Services Business Plan and Secure Care.

One Stop Early Intervention Services

The R14, 895 received from the Policy Reserve Fund has been divided amongst the 9 provinces, and will be accessed through conditional Grants. The allocations will be used for appointment of assistant probation officers; family finders; additional diversion programmes; replication of reception, assessment and referral centers; additional youth development components and one stop early intervention services in 4 provinces. The 4 provinces involved in the Presidential Urban Renewal Strategy have been tasked to ensure services in the identified areas.

Victim Empowerment Programme (VEP)

The Victim Empowerment Programme (VEP) places special focus on women and children and is one of the priority programmes identified within the National Crime Prevention Strategy. The VEP is led by the Department of Welfare (both national and provincial) in close co-operation with a team of experts in the field of victim empowerment.

Central to the Department's initiatives is the establishment of 52 Victim Empowerment Projects at provincial levels. These projects operate on the basis of Ò24-hour one-stop service centres'. Women and children receive a range of services rendered by trained professional and/or volunteer staff. These projects include the following:

1. Gauteng: Khulumani Project (Support groups for victims referred by the TRC); POWA (Public awareness and economic empowerment projects); NICRO (Support services, counseling, volunteer training, awareness campaigns).
2. Mpumalanga: Teacher's training project (training of teachers to identify symptoms of child abuse); Leseding Outreach Center (Domestic violence victims); Ermelo Trauma Centre (Sexual offences, domestic violence); Women In Need (Domestic Violence services, accommodation); Kinross Victim Support Centre (Community awareness & education, volunteer training, stakeholder coordination); Embalenhle Victim Support Centre (Victims of domestic violence, sexual offences, theft, road accidents); Elukwatini Victim Support Centre (Victims of rape, abuse and domestic violence); Evander Victim Support Centre (Counselling, support, volunteer training); Middelburg Victim Support Centre (Intermediary services, transport, short term accommodation, legal advise, capacity building).
3. KwaZulu-Natal: Chatsworth Community Care Centre (Training of volunteers; counseling of victims); Siyabona Learning Trust (Training of family helpers in conflict management, domestic violence, child abuse & support groups for alcohol abuse; also deal with poverty alleviation); Ekuzameni Rehabilitation Centre (Training of volunteers, counseling of victims of domestic violence and rape, alcohol abuse); Durban Children's Society (Support group for women in the area, training of lay counsellors in listening and referral, encourage women to fight against domestic violence); Wings of Love (Counselling, caring and referral of victims of violence and crime; Life Line & Rape Crisis Project (Generic counseling services); Clermont Women's Organisation (Counselling and referral of victims of crime and violence, training of volunteers).
4. Free State: NICRO Victim Support Centre (Victims of rape and domestic violence); Thusanang (Awareness raising - women's rights, rape domestic violence); Region D Volunteer Training (Volunteer training); Region F Volunteer training (volunteer training); Befrienders Volunteer training (volunteer training); FAMSA Volunteer training (volunteer training).
5. Western Cape: Volunteer training project.
6. Eastern Cape: Tsitsikama Care Providers (support to victims of crime); Joubertina Crisis Centre (Prevention and training of volunteers); Nicro and New Brighton Care Centre (support services to victims of crime); Lukhanisa VEP (Support services to victims of crime); Azamile Amakhosikazi (Support services to victims of crime); King Williamstown Crisis centre (Support services to victims of crime; Domestic violence campaign (Campaigns and training in domestic violence); Cambridge and Duncan Village Care centre (support to victims of crime); Elliot VEP (Support services to victims of crime); Cradock victim Support Centre (Support services to victims of crime); Queenstown VEP (Support services to victims of crime); Child and Family Unit (volunteer training and Support services to victims of crime).

1. Northern Cape: Train the trainer (training of volunteers and professional people); Tamar Shelter (shelter for victims of domestic violence).
2. North West: Orkney Child Welfare (trauma therapy, training of volunteers); Stilfontein Child Welfare (support services to victims of domestic violence); Potchefstroom Child and Family Welfare Society (services to neglected and abused children); Tumelong People Against Abuse (support services to victims of domestic violence); Klerksdorp Crisis Centre (counseling and training); Mabogo Dinku (support services to victims of domestic violence); Botshabelo Crisis Centre (support services to victims of domestic violence); Life Line Mafikeng (counseling, training, advocacy, support groups).
3. Northern Province: Mankweng Community Victim Support Project (Public education, overnight facilities, support, counseling, training of professionals/ volunteers); Pietersburg Child Welfare's Women Crisis Centre and Place of Safety (Counselling, accommodation, domestic violence services, teaching of skills, marriage enrichment); NICRO (Community education, sensitisation of service providers, support, counseling, support groups, marketing of services, research); Thohoyandou Community VEP (Community awareness and education, overnight facilities, advice desk); Tzaneen Trauma Centre (counseling, support, volunteer training).

The following are the main achievements over the past year:

1. A Victim of Crime Survey was conducted by Statistics South Africa and sponsored by Safety and Security. The Department of Welfare served in an advisory capacity as well as a critical reader. The results were released on 10 December 1998 and reviewed during August 1999. Gaps were identified and proposals forwarded to the National Crime Prevention Strategy (NCPS) Directors-General meeting.
2. The appointment of provincial VEP project managers progressed well. The Free State, Gauteng and Kwa-Zulu Natal project managers commenced duties during 1999. The Western Cape, Eastern Cape, Northern Cape and North West project managers should commence duties on 1 March 2000.
3. Fifty provincial projects have been initiated in the provinces. The main focus of these projects is 24-hour services for victims and the training of volunteers and professionals to render these services. An audit of these projects is available.
4. Since embarking on the VEP in April 1997, several stakeholders have indicated the need for volunteer training to be co-ordinated and standardised. A task team was established which developed a framework for guidelines on voluntarism, on which agreement has been reached.
5. The VEP team co-ordinated activities for the Ô16 Days of Activism: No Violence Against Women'. Planning was shared with the Heads of Department of Welfare, as well as the VEP provincial co-ordinators. A special focus was placed on the protection of women and children and the importance of the family.
6. A VEP workshop was hosted on 19, 20 and 21 January 2000. During this workshop a new strategic direction emerged which is in line with the Minister for Welfare, Population and Development's recently launched 10-point plan.

7. Domestic Violence is a sub-programme of the VEP.

Priorities And Plans For The Year 2000 - 2001

1. Final refinement of the VEP audit to also include national projects.
2. Finalizing Service Level Agreements between national and provincial Departments of Welfare.
3. Establishing all VEP projects by the end of March 2000.
4. Formulating a funding proposal to elicit funds from various sources in order ensure sustainability of projects.
5. Ensuring that point 4 of the Ministerial 10 Point Plan is utilized to strategize for 2000. This will ensure strategic follow-up of decisions taken during the VEP workshop that was held on 19, 20 and 21 January 2000.
6. Development of a policy package, including minimum standards and practice guidelines for the VEP.
7. Embarking on a Developmental Quality Assurance (DQA) process of the VEP projects based on the last mentioned
8. Training of social workers and lay counsellors in the implementation of the Domestic Violence Act.

Domestic Violence

7.1. The Domestic Violence Act, 1998 (Act 116 of 1998) was implemented on 15 December 1999. The following activities were undertaken in preparation for this:

A national audit of domestic violence projects in the Department has been completed and submitted to the Department of Safety and Security

The Department of Justice developed an integrated Implementation Plan on the Domestic Violence Act.

At a Victim Empowerment Workshop on domestic violence a task team was formed for the implementation of business plans for training, resource directory and pilot projects.

7.2 Briefing sessions on the implementation of the Domestic Violence Act were conducted in the provinces during November and December 1999. Two hundred and thirty three social workers and South African Police officials were briefed. The Department is in the process of appointing an organization that will offer uniform training for social workers and lay counsellors in the nine provinces.

7.3 The Department has established a partnership with the National Network on Violence Against Women (NNOVAW) to develop a Resource Directory on Domestic Violence. The Directory consists of the following services:

7.4 The Department managed the drafting of integrated business plans for the establishment of local domestic violence projects

7.5 An information Sheet on the Domestic Violence Act has been developed and distributed to stakeholders.

7.6 A pamphlet on Domestic Violence was developed and utilized during National Women's Day, 9 August.

7.7 This Department made a financial contribution towards the reprinting of a pamphlet on the Domestic Violence Act, to coincide with the implementation of the Domestic Violence Act, 15 December 1999.

7.8 The Department participated in the commemoration of National Women's Day, 9 August, in Ermelo (Mpumalanga Province) and Mothibistad (North-West Province. The focus included domestic violence and HIV/AIDS.

THE FLAGSHIP PROGRAMME:

Developmental Programmes For Unemployed Women With Children Under Five Years

The national Department of Welfare allocated the following amounts to the Flagship Programme:

1996/1997: R3 000 000.00
1997/1998: R1 564 000.00
1998/1999: R2 700 000.00
2000/2001: R1 612 000.00
2001/2002: R 55 580.00

In all, fifteen pilot projects were managed and maintained in the nine provinces. The current number of participating women is 867 and the number of the children is 946. The training that the women in the pilot projects received covered practical skills such as hair dressing, hospitality and early childhood development training, as well as skills in project management, financial management, life skills, literacy and numeracy. Social skills such as the ability to negotiate for themselves, problem solving and decision-making skills were also attended to. Many of the projects are potentially sustainable.

In line with the ultimate goal of the Flagship Programme to have a best practice model with minimum standards, research was completed on three pilot projects and valuable information was obtained that will feed into the best practice model.

The Flagship Programme participated in the Impumelelo Innovations Programme Award, which was created to reward innovative and exceptional examples of service delivery in the public sector. The focus is particularly on the reduction of poverty in South Africa and on best practices that improve the quality of life of the poor. The Flagship Programme as a whole reached the semi-finalist stage and a semi-finalist award was presented to the Flagship Programme on 8 December 1999 in Cape Town.

The partnership between the national Department of Welfare, TRANSNET and the provincial Departments of Welfare in Mpumalanga and Eastern Cape resulted in the handing-over of containers to the Minister for Welfare, Population and Development, Dr Z Skweyiya at the Driefontein Flagship Project in Driefontein, Mpumalanga on 29 October 1999 and the Melisiswe Tambo Multi-purpose Project near Bizana on 3 December 1999 by Ms Riah Phiyega, Assistant General Manager, Transnet. In the 2000/2001 year TRANSNET will go further with this partnership and erect containers at the Flagship sites of the Mpumelelo Self Help Project in Rethabiseng, Bronkhorstspruit and the Bhambanana Flagship Programme and Azalea Flagship Programme in Kwa-Zulu Natal.

HIV/AIDS

Background

South Africa has the second fastest growing epidemic in the world with an estimated 1600 new infections occurring daily. The 1998 annual antenatal HIV sero-prevalence survey estimates that 22,0 percent of South African women were HIV positive. Projections in South Africa are that the epidemic will plateau at an antenatal sero-prevalence level of 30 - 38%, at which stage 26% of adults and 18 to 19% of the total population will be HIV positive. It should be realized that although the epidemic will reach a plateau, the social implications of the epidemic will still be felt for many years and provision should be made for the generation after the epidemic.

Before the onset of HIV/AIDS, societies in the developing world absorbed orphans into the extended family and communities at a rate of just over 2,5 percent of the child population. Today, as a consequence of AIDS, 11 percent of Ugandan children are orphans, 9 percent in Zambia and 7 percent in Zimbabwe. This scenario is likely to be repeated in South Africa.

The reality is that South Africa is now faced with:

1. Increasing numbers of children in distress associated with the escalating AIDS epidemic.
2. The inabilities of traditional models of surrogate support care to accommodate the number of children in distress.
3. The inability of poor communities to absorb children in distress into informal care facilities without the introduction of outside support.
4. The stigma associated with HIV/AIDS infected and affected families.
5. The pressing need to develop intervention strategies to ensure that the rights of children who are affected by and infected with HIV / AIDS are protected.

Taking the above conditions and predictions into consideration it is critical that:

1. the care system is transformed to ensure efficiency, effectiveness and appropriateness,
2. family and community strengths are identified and built upon to maximize the potential of each community to care for their vulnerable children

Research

In order to inform policy and the development of programmes a qualitative investigation was done of poor people's perceptions of death and dying in seven peri-urban and urban communities in and around Pietermaritzburg. The main issues that arose from the research were:

1. The family is the main site of care giving of the terminally ill of those who survive.
2. The social and economic consequences of these deaths are profound and essentially negative
3. Much of the burden that these deaths generate is borne by women, especially older persons
4. The absence or low levels of social preparation for death, especially, leaves many people stranded or in dire straits
5. These circumstances are made worse by the fact that both sex (being often women) and age (being children or older persons) act as a double constraint on the future of those who survive
6. There is a displacement of children who finds themselves out of family and/or out of community Stratified, multi-sectoral responses are needed to deal with a social reality that will become increasingly complex.
7. Affordable and meaningful social interventions which are pro-active are needed
8. Government needs to drive a process that involves all stakeholders.

Women In Partnership Against HIV/Aids

The second leg of the campaign was from 11 - 16 May 1999 and covered the remaining three provinces. The major goal was to engage local communities towards ensuring that sustainable programmes aimed at combating HIV/Aids are firmly rooted in the workplace and community.

Draft National Strategic Framework For Children Infected And Affected By HIV/Aids

During a consultative workshop held on 9 and 10 November 1999 with 82 representatives from government departments and non-governmental organizations, a National Strategic Framework (NSF) for Children Infected and Affected by HIV/Aids was developed. The framework will be the impetus for the development and implementation of approaches that effectively capacitate and mobilize children, families and communities to combat many of the effects of the HIV/AIDS pandemic and will ensure that children who are affected by HIV/AIDS have access to integrated services that address their basic needs for food, shelter, education, health care, family or alternative care, and protection from abuse and maltreatment.

This Framework complements the National Integrated Plan for Children Infected with and Affected by HIV / AIDS which has been developed as a result of the approval by Cabinet at its meeting on 24 November 1999. The National Integrated Plan is a concerted effort between the Departments of Health, Welfare and Education and consists of four programmes, namely:

• Life skills programmes in primary and secondary schools,
• Voluntary testing and counseling services
• Community and home based care and support, and
• Health promotion and community mobilization.

Learning Lessons From Africa Countries

The Minister for Welfare was part of a delegation of 26 who visited Uganda during August 1999. The main objectives of the visit were to learn from Uganda's experience in responding to HIV/AIDS and build partnership with Ugandan colleagues for longer-term collaboration.

The delegation learnt that openness, humility, political commitment, trust, respect and personal/individual engagement are the key elements in the response to HIV/AIDS. The two countries agreed to collaborate, which will include capacity building, research, mother-to-child transmission, youth programmes, community mobilization and vaccine development.

Personnel from the Department also had the opportunity to visit Rwanda, Uganda and to attend the 11th International Conference on HIV/AIDS in Zambia and to explore programmes regarding children infected and affected by HIV/Aids.

The group recommended the following for South Africa's response to the epidemic:

• Multi-sectoral approach is of the utmost importance but each sector must define its own role and accept responsibility in order to address the epidemic effectively and to avoid duplication of services.
• The role of older persons should receive more attention
• Participation and involvement of youth and children should be encouraged
• Capacity building at the level of implementation of policies
• Personnel of government as well as NGOs should be built
• Communities must be empowered to understand and cope with the epidemic
• Closer collaboration with countries bordering South Africa
• A National strategy should be developed for Children Infected and Affected by HIV/AIDS Life skill programmes should be linked with parent education
• The family members capacity should be built in order to support those who are ill and left without any parents.
• Openness about HIV/AIDS plays a prominent role in Uganda.

Substance Abuse

The Department of Welfare took the initiative to facilitate the development of a National Drug Master Plan that was approved by Cabinet during September 1998. Emphasis will be placed on the following issues in the implementation of the National Drug Master Plan:

1. Intensify programmes directed at Youth
2. Integration of drug related crime programmes
3. Mobilising communities in the context of health and welfare
4. Focus on research and data base on information and trends in the use and abuse of substances
5. Intensifying international co-operation and funding

It is planned to appoint members to serve on the Central Drug Authority by the end of March 2000. The Department of Welfare as an interim arrangement will provide a Secretariat for the Central Drug Authority.

In November 1999, as part of its efforts to combat substance abuse, the Department of Welfare facilitated a national drug prevention summit for the development of a national strategy. A draft national drug prevention strategy, targeting the youth was developed and is in the process of being finalised. It is envisaged to start implementing the inter-sectoral strategy under the auspices of the Central Drug Authority, during the second half of 2000.

The Department of Welfare also took the initiative to start a process of developing social welfare action plans for the welfare sector in line with the National Drug Master Plan. Once the Central Drug Authority approves the action plans, the implementation and monitoring thereof will be initiated.

In terms of improving treatment and rehabilitation services and facilities in under served areas in all nine provinces, the Minister for Welfare, Population and Development, together with SANCA signed an agreement with the United Nations Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention. This project, worth R6 000 000 is in the process of being implemented and has the potential, not only to improve treatment and rehabilitation facilities but contribute to more effective service delivery in areas being neglected and under served.

As part of its efforts to address substance abuse in the Department of Welfare, in partnership with the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the Institute for Health Training and Development (IHTD) embarked upon a project for the prevention of substance abuse in the workplace. A manual and other material were developed which could be of value to the small business entrepreneur in dealing with substance abuse in the workplace, master trainers were trained and the concept was piloted in three provinces. The challenge now is to replicate this approach in other provinces.

Youth Development

In recognition of the unique needs of the youth today, the Department of Welfare has strengthened relations not only with the National Youth Commission, but also with other relevant stakeholders. This has resulted in the formation of more focused clusters by departments around areas of concern of young South Africans, which will be the driving force on implementation of programmes for youth.

The Department of Health in partnership with the Departments of Education and Welfare developed the policy guidelines on 'Health Promoting in Schools'. This will direct schools, communities and service providers to create schools as sectors for youth development. The crucial areas of focus of these guidelines are:

1. Community involvement
2. Personal skill development
3. Effective support services
4. A healthy supportive environment
5. A healthy school policy

The National Crime Prevention Strategy identified violence prevention in schools as a major focus area. The Department of Welfare, as part of the Safety and Security Cluster of the National Youth Commission, has participated in identifying welfare initiatives for piloting in the Presidential Urban Renewal areas.

Disability

Due to the transformation of the Chief Directorate: Developmental Social Welfare Services, the focus on Disability was limited. The activities undertaken are outlined below.

1. The major part of work was on setting the relationship between the Development Fund for Disabled People (now the Thabo Mbeki Development Trust for Disabled People) and the Department, for the management of the R20m allocated from the Poverty Alleviation Funds.

A contract was entered into in June 1999 thereafter the first trench of R8m was transferred to the Development Fund. To date a total amount of R8 376 000 is allocated for economic empowerment projects countrywide.

The allocation per province is as follows:

Other projects of national scope are:

The second trench will be allocated to more rural communities and projects aimed at transforming protective workshops.

1. The Department was represented at the Assembly of Rehabilitation International held in London during September 1999. Attendance at the event highlighted the direction of international service providers in disability and recommendations made in this regard will be incorporated into the plans of the Department.

2. A successful two-day workshop was held on 19 - 20 November 1999 with the South African Federal Council on Disability (SAFCD). The outcome of the workshop was:

In accordance with its mandate, the National Population Unit, in partnership with key departments and institutions in the private sector, has formulated a series of detailed project plans aimed at addressing the identified priorities in a purposeful manner during the next operational year. These priorities are linked to the ten social welfare priorities that the Minister for Welfare, Population and Development published after his discussions with a wide range of stakeholders in the social welfare and population and development fields in October 1999.

During the past year, close collaboration has been established with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and other international donor agencies, which provide technical and financial support to government institutions in order to enhance their policy-making and planning capacity in the field of population and development. This assistance is critical in order to facilitate the implementation of the Population Policy at national and provincial levels.

Advocacy

On a national level liaison with and capacity building of the media to report on population and development, formed the basis of informing the public about population and development concerns. An international media workshop was conducted in collaboration with the UNFPA and Media Communications. Ten South African journalists formed part of the group of thirty participants from Africa countries.

The State of the World Population Report was launched during September at a media conference and raised interest regarding the same report being developed for South Africa.

The Year of Six Billion was commemorated with a seminar and exhibition for Parliamentarians at Parliament. The Portfolio Committee for Welfare and Population Development hosted the event in collaboration with the NPU.

Five Years After The International Conference On Population And Development

The year 1999 marked five years since the international community, including South Africa, collectively developed and agreed to implement the programme of action of the Cairo International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD-PA). The ICPD-PA formed the basis for the ethos and the thrusts of South Africa's Population Policy.

The following is a list of high-level meetings at which South Africa participated since the beginning of 1999.

1. The International Forum for the Operational Review and Appraisal of the Implementation of the ICPD-PA, held at The Hague from 8-12 February 1999. The South African delegation consisted of representatives from the NPU, Women's Health project, the National Progressive Primary Health Care Network and the Planned Parenthood Association as well as four UNFPA sponsored journalists from South Africa who covered the event.
2. The ICPD+5 Preparatory Committee (PrepCom) for the Special Session of the UN General Assembly, New York - 24 March to 01 April 1999. The South African delegation, headed by the Director General for Welfare and Population and Development included representatives from the NPU, the Department of Health, the then Co-ordination and Implementation Unit in the then Deputy President's Office and Planned Parenthood Association.
3. The 21st Special Session of the UN General Assembly, held at the UN headquarters from 1 -3 July 1999. Ambassador D Kumalo presented SA's statement on the overall review and appraisal of the implementation of the ICPD-PA.

International Conference: Population Into The 21st Century

At the Third African Population Conference held in Durban in December 1999, the National Population Unit managed to facilitate the promotion of collaboration on population issues on the continent in a manner that defined South Africa's role in population and development in Africa more accurately. More than 700 participants attended the conference.

Follow-up activities from the conference for South Africa include:

1. Southern African workshops on population issues of common interest such as HIV/AIDS and migration;
2. Training on population and development, including the establishment of new centres and the strengthening of existing ones;
3. International research collaboration
4. Establishment of a national population and development information and community facility, by using web based technologies

Further research will be undertaken after a few years to fully evaluate the success of the programme, whereby the research finding obtained during 1999 will be compared with the further research findings.

Teenagers' Knowledge and Perceptions Of Teenage Pregnancy

The Population Policy for South Africa mandates the National Population Unit (NPU) of the Department of Welfare to engage in adolescent reproductive health and rights. The Policy promotes the view that youth should be helped to control their own lives. In a study it was found that adolescents' decisions about sexuality and fertility are directed by prevailing social norms and values. These norms and values are embedded in a large number of social, economic, cultural, psychological, interpersonal and developmental factors that have been found to influence reproductive health. It is essential that programmes and plans to address reproductive health needs of adolescents be based on sound information that includes adolescents' comprehension of the subject. Thus, assessing their level of knowledge with respect to reproductive health is an important step in enhancing and increasing their reproductive health and rights.

Future Plans

Strategic preparations for implementing the Population Policy for South Africa culminated in a national stakeholder workshop in November 1999, where negotiations were based on the strategic focus areas outlined according to priority population concerns contained in the Population Policy. These focus areas will be addressed during 2000 - 2003 and include the following:

1. The impact of HIV infections and AIDS mortality on the population structure
2. Fertility, and unplanned, unwanted and high-risk pregnancies (including teenage pregnancies) in the context of poverty and lack of access to resources.
3. The social, economic and environmental causes and consequences of internal and international migration in South and Southern Africa The social, economic and environmental causes and consequences.

Laws Passed During 1999

Two welfare laws were passed by Parliament during 1999, namely -

1. The Prevention and Treatment of Drug Dependency Amendment Bill which provided for the establishment of a Central Drug Authority in order to implement the Drug Master Plan for South Africa; and
2. The Child Care Amendment Act, which, amongst others, provided for the establishment of secure care facilities and for the prohibition against the commercial sexual exploitation of children.

Regulations

Amongst others, the following regulations were passed during 1999:

1. Regulations under the Non-profit Organisations Act, 1997;
2. Regulations under the Social Assistance Act, 1992;
3. Regulations under the Child Care Act, 1983; and
4. Regulations under the Social Work Act, 1978.

Legislative Programme For 2000

It is envisaged to submit the following Bills to Parliament for adoption during the 2000 session:

1. Non-profit Organisations Amendment Bill;
2. Developmental Welfare Governance Bill;
3. Probation Services Amendment Bill; and
4. Status of Older Persons Bill.

The Department will review its mandate in 2000 to consider policy fields where new legislation may be required.

International Welfare Liaison

The Department of Welfare is committed to an improved and strengthened framework for international, regional and sub-regional cooperation for social development. The functions of the International Liaison Desk in the department are to:

1. Promote, co-ordinate and monitor the exchange of international experience in the social sector;
2. Ensure awareness of international decisions;
3. Inform the policy formulation process and;
4. Disseminate information on international

The Department of Welfare participated in international forums during the past year.

• The 22nd Session of the OAU Labour and Social Affairs Commission in Namibia - April 1999. At this meeting the Department initiated discussion on the situation of older persons in Africa.
• The UN Preparatory Committee (PrepCom) for the Follow-up and Implementation of the World Summit for Social Development for Social Development (New York, May 1999). In partnership with the South African Committee for Social Development a progress report on activities in social development since1995 was submitted to the UN Commission for Social Development.
• The 38th Session of the UN Commission for Social Development.4 From 8-18 February 2000 the Commission undertook the overall review of the implementation of the outcome of the World Summit for social Development, and transmitted the results to the Preparatory Committee at its Second Session in April 2000. The Department will participate in the preparations for the UN Special Session in Geneva in June 2000.
• Ministers responsible for the follow-up and implementation of the Copenhagen Declaration in the Southern African Region (SADC) met in Durban on 7 and 8 December 1999. The meeting was convened and chaired by Dr ZST Skweyiya, Minister of Welfare, Population and Development.
• The SADC Ministerial Conference in Swaziland - February 9-24 2000. Minister Skweyiya tabled the Statement of Intent for Social Development in the Region.

The Department was also represented at the following international meetings and conferences:

• Annual Meeting of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs, Vienna in March 1999
• 9th UN Congress on Prevention of Crime and Treatment of Offenders in Vienna in March 1999
• Annual SADC Gender Ministerial Meeting in Addis Abba from 22 to 27 November 1999.
• Annual SADC Council of Ministers Meetings in August 1999 and Feb 2000
• SADC NGO Meeting in Botswana from 26-29 November 1999
• Annual Advisory Council and Executive Committee Meetings of the International Social Services (ISS) in Rome, Italy from 23 May to 4 June 1999
• 9th International Conference on Information Technology in Social Security in Montreal from 27-30 November 1999
• Workshop of the WHO on the Development of minimum data sets on the situation of older persons in Harare from 20 to 22 January 2000
• Workshop and Training for Poverty Reduction in Jaipur from 14-16 November 1999
• Third African Regional Workshop of the African Gerontological Society in Nairobi, Kenya from 12 to 16 April 1999
• African Conference on the use of children as soldiers, in Maputo Mozambique from 19-22 April 1999
• An educational visit to Uganda, Kenya and Zimbabwe in order to develop a bilateral partnerships in HIV/AIDS
• A study tour in Social Security in Belgium in May 1999
• A The 3rd Cohort of the Senior Executive Training Programme in Boston from 24 July to 13 August 1999
• Copenhagen Seminar for Social Progress in Denmark from 16 to 22 September 1999

United Nations Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (UNCCPCJ)

The total allocation to the national Department of Welfare for the 1999/2000 financial year amounts to R 525,912 million.

A schedule on the comparative allocations for the welfare function from the 1996/97 to the 1999/2000 financial year is attached.

Comparative Allocations for the welfare function

Chapter Eight

An integrated approach to welfare services recommends an organisational structure where policy, strategy and legislation on welfare matters are strongly integrated.

The Organisational Review and Business Analysis Process recently undertaken by the Department confirms this approach. Furthermore, whatever steps are taken to enhance service delivery have to be informed by research and scientific analysis in order to come up with strategies based on as much objective analysis as possible.

Human Resource Development in the Welfare Sector

1. The 'Re-orientation for Social Service Workers' courses were presented to 760 provincial officials in Kwa-Zulu Natal, Mpumalanga and Northern Provinces. A total of 388 people completed the courses and received their graduation certificates.
2. In conjunction with important stakeholders a core curriculum for the re-orientation of Social Service Workers is being finalized whereupon the responsibility for retraining will be handed over to the provinces.
3. The Netherlands Government donated R2m for capacity building programmes. Capacity Building courses for middle and senior management were conducted for 292 participants from national and provincial departments of Welfare.
4. The ABET training for lower graded workers within the national Department of Welfare commenced on 10 January 2000. A complement of 29 learners is being taught numeracy and communication in English at all the different levels (1 - 4).
5. Twenty trainers from the provinces will undergo social security training in identified areas of need.
6. Twenty social security personnel will be trained in general management principles.
7. Planning for the training of development workers in partnership with training institutions and the Development Workers Association is at an advanced stage. It is estimated that about 300 development workers will be trained over a 3-year period. The first 150 trainees will be drawn from the three provinces prioritized within the Integrated Rural Development Strategy. The training will run within the next two years.

1. Optimal Use Of Human Resources
The recently announced ten priorities that drive the Department's response to the social crisis will have a direct impact on the utilization of the Department's human resources. All components will have to focus on these priorities with the result that certain areas will have to be restructured to deliver in these ten areas.

2. New Public Service Management Framework

2.1 Where does the new framework obtain its mandate?
It begins with the 1996 Constitution and includes the Public Service Act, which governs public administration. This act has been amended by the following legislation:

• Public Service Commission Act, 1997.
• Public Service Laws Amendment Acts of 1997,
• 1998 and 1999.
• Public Service Regulations.
• Collective Agreements.
• Management Guides.

2.2 What is this new framework about?
The new framework is a management tool designed to enable departments to make appropriate decisions about how they can manage themselves. It is about changing the way we work in order to provide better services to our customers, both within and outside the public service. The focus of the framework is on delivering services as opposed to the preoccupation with the administration of rules and regulations.

As a direct result of the new framework, the Department has commenced the process of developing its own human resource and work organization policies and practices according to its service delivery objectives and circumstances. The minimum requirements given in the new Public Service Regulations assist the Department in determining its policies, plans and practices.

3. Job Evaluation
The Regulations require departments to use job evaluation to assist them in achieving cost-effective work organization and to determine appropriate remuneration. The Department of Welfare has started work on job evaluation. A few job analysts and panelists have been identified and trained.

4. Progress With Regard To The Improvement Of Representivity
The Department made substantial progress in improving the diversity of its workforce as far as representivity of the population of South Africa is concerned

5. A New Performance Management And Development System
The Department has embarked on a process of developing a comprehensive system during the year 2000 that will enable managers to manage the performance of the Department as a whole, teams and individual employees. The system will be fully implemented with effect from 1 January 2001.

Strategic Planning and Business Repositioning

One of the functions of the Department is to ensure the business repositioning of the Department through among others strategic planning. As required in the Public Service Regulations of July 1999, the Department has developed a strategic plan for the period 2000/01 to 2002/03. This is in line with the 3-year Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) of government. The Strategic Plan contains a promise from the national Department of Welfare to its stakeholders - a promise to deliver for the benefit of the people of South Africa. New leadership, a changing environment and shifting needs, necessitated a varied approach to strategic planning for the Department, one that was fully informed by stakeholder needs and expectations. The latter input was obtained from the outcome of the National Consultative Process of the Minister, during October 1999. The Ministry has identified priorities that must be addressed over the next five years, which are covered in the Strategic Plan.

Representivity statistics - 1999 (Whole Department)

Representivity statistics according to salary level - 1999

Gender Statistics - 1999 (Whole Department)

Gender statistics according to salary level - 1999

The Departmental Business Plan for 1999/2000 was developed and will pave the way to fulfilling the promise made by the Department of Welfare, as will each annual business plan in the 3-year cycle of the Strategic Plan. These plans will continually evolve to meet the specific needs of different stakeholders and be adjusted to differing strategic requirements. This will facilitate the strategic alignment of thinking and actions at all levels for maximum impact. A system was also developed and implemented to assist managers to monitor progress made with the implementation of the Business Plan on a monthly basis.

A system was also developed and implemented to assist managers to monitor progress made with the implementation of the Business Plan on a monthly basis.

In order to be relevant and also be able to provide relevant services to those in need and thus shape a better society, policy research for the Department of Welfare has become a powerful tool. It is hoped that research undertaken by the Department of Welfare will meet the needs of policy makers, researchers and social welfare practitioners in solving problems they confront on a daily basis.

Achievements in the past year

• A tender was awarded to Datadesk: University of South Africa to undertake a research study on the Phasing Out of the State Maintenance Grant (SMG). The study began in June 1999 and is due for completion in early 2000.
• A tender was awarded to Community Agency for Social Enquiry (CASE) to undertake a research study on the Phasing In of the Child Support Grant (CSG). The study began in July 1999 and is due for completion in May 2000.
• A tender was awarded to Social Dimension to undertake a Welfare Research Update. The study began in May 1999 and is due for completion in April 2000.
• Embarked on a Re-design of the Departmental Library into a Resource Centre.
• Embarked on a research capacity building programme for the Department.

Plans for the year 2000/2001

• On-going monitoring, coordination and evaluation of above mentioned research studies.
• Development of strategies for the implementation of recommendations from the above mentioned research studies.
• The identification and prioritisation of research to be undertaken.
• Award of tenders for the prioritised research studies.
• On-going monitoring, coordination and evaluation of these research studies.
• Continuation of research capacity building within the Department.

Chapter 9: Mobilising for a Caring Society

The National Consultation and the Ten-Point Plan

The first five years of democratic governance has laid the foundation to respond to the social crisis facing our country. We have put in place legislative and policy frameworks that are in keeping with the principles of the Reconstruction and Development Programme and our constitutional mandate. However, much more needs to be done to create a caring society.

We need a collective vision and strategy that is more responsive to the structural causes of problems as well as their social manifestations.

To be responsive in this way means that the Department of Welfare has to mobilise our communities to establish a caring society, based on the principle of people first for sustainable development. As government, we will be guided by the Batho Pele (people first) approach in creating this collective vision and strategy to respond to the social crisis, and in transforming social welfare.

This mobilisation for a caring society began with the national consultative process in October 1999. For six days the Minister for Welfare engaged in a dialogue with a range of organisations representing women, children, people with disabilities, the homeless, poor people, development workers, and professional associations.

The verbal presentations and written inputs made during this national consultative process confirmed the analysis that the welfare system is not responding to the fundamental social crisis South Africa is facing.

Given this situation, the Minister identified the following priorities that will be addressed over the next five years:

1. We will restore the ethics of care and human development into all our programmes. This requires the urgent rebuilding of family, community and social relations in order to promote social integration. Nationally we will promote a culture of volunteerism and civic responsibility. We must begin to evolve our own methods of meeting people's needs without transplanting foreign models.
2. We will design an integrated poverty eradication strategy that provides direct benefits to those who are in greatest need, especially women, youth and children in rural areas and informal settlements. This will take place within a sustainable development approach.
   The integrated poverty eradication strategy will include the recommendations of the Presidential Jobs Summit as well as the expansion of the Micro-Save Programme - a programme to strengthen stokvel-type savings and credit collectives and promote a culture of savings.
3. We will develop a comprehensive social security system that builds on the existing contributory and non-contributory schemes and prioritises the most vulnerable households. Such a system must reduce dependency on non-contributory cash payments and give consideration to food security. Work on the feasibility of a basic income grant is being fast tracked. A new welfare payment and information service will be established to improve the administration of social grants. We will also work with other government departments such as Home Affairs to ensure that the birth of every child is registered so that services such as the Child Support Grant, education and health services can be accessed.
4. We must respond to the brutal effects of all forms of violence against women and children as well as effective strategies to deal with the perpetrators. An advocacy campaign to highlight the role of men in preventing violence against women and children will be launched. The department will also strengthen services under the Victim Empowerment Programme of the National Crime Prevention Strategy.
5. Our programmes will include a range of services to support the community-based care and assistance for people living with HIV/AIDS. Particular attention will be given to orphans and children affected by HIV / AIDS. We are finalising a National Strategic Framework for Children Infected and Affected by HIV / AIDS as a priority.
6. A national strategy will be developed to reduce youth criminality and youth unemployment within the framework of the National Crime Prevention Strategy. Together with the National Youth Commission and other organisations, we will support the initiative for a national youth service programme that is developmental for youth and communities.
7. We will make social welfare services accessible and available to people in rural, peri-urban and informal settlements, and ensure equity in service provision. This is critical as no woman or child should be so powerless as to believe that murder or suicide is the only option. The welfare financing policy will be refined with a clear focus on the re-direction of resources to under-serviced areas.
8. We will redesign services to people with disabilities in ways that promote their human rights and economic development. We will support and advocate for the appropriate production and supply of assistive devices. The ratification of various international instruments will be completed and programmes to ensure access to information for people with disabilities will be undertaken. The Department will work with people with disabilities to ensure that their needs are met without further marginalising them.
9. All our work must be based on a commitment to co-operative governance that includes working with different spheres of government and civil society. The Department will work in partnership with communities, organisations and institutions in civil society. As first step, the national consultation process will be continued as a dialogue with and report back to the sector and citizens.
   The national department will create a framework for provincial MECs and local structures to carry out this strategic vision and mandate. After all, our performance nationally depends on effective service delivery by provincial and local officials.
10. We must train, educate, re-deploy and employ a new category of workers in social development to respond to the realities of South Africa's crisis. This includes the re-orientation of social service workers to meet the development challenges of South Africa and link these to our regional and global demands.
    The National Population Unit will be strengthened as a support unit to help all government departments take cognisance of the key challenges as reflected in national data, such as HIV / AIDS rates, and to build a shared set of indicators on key development issues.

These priorities will form part of a systematic, co-ordinated strategy for social development over the next 5 years. It will be linked to the department's medium term expenditure framework. In addition the plan will involve the mobilisation of national and inter-national resources, including the use of a wider pool of technical expertise.

Linkages with other programmes of government will be consolidated to integrate the work of the Department of Welfare into these programmes. Particular focus areas will be the Integrated Rural Development Strategy, the National Plan of Action for Children, the work of the Office on the Status of People with Disabilities and the Office on the Status of Women.

We need to move quickly at all levels to link social development and population concerns to economic strategies so as to establish socially integrated and caring communities.

STATUS OF DISASTERS THAT OCCURRED BETWEEN AUGUST 1999 AND FEBRUARY 2000

All disasters that occurred prior to August 1999 have been finalised in terms of the Fund Raising Act, 1978.

Eastern Cape Province

In August 1999, veld fires ravaged the magisterial district of Mount Frere, destroying a number of homes, livestock, and grazing land. Theses areas were declared disaster area in terms of the Fund Raising Act, 1978.

Action taken

• The provincial welfare department provided short term social relief to the affected communities.
• About 500 application forms for assistance form the Disaster Relief Fund have been processed and cheques are currently being issued.

Western Cape

In August 1999 a tornado struck Western Cape areas of Mannenberg, Guguletu and Surrey Estates. The tornado caused untold suffering and damage to people's lives and property. These magisterial districts were declared as disaster areas.

Action taken

• Heavy floods affected KwaZulu-Natal between the period 18 to 20 December 1999.
• The province is still assessing applications for assistance from the Disaster Relief Fund.

Mpumalanga and Northern Province

Heavy rains that fell over Mpumalanga, Northern Province, since 6 February 2000, left a trail of destruction amounting to hundreds of millions of rands. The total amount of damaged is still being assessed. Roads and bridges were washed away and houses crumbled due to flooded rivers. Thousands of people have been cut off from food supplies, left destitute and a number of fatalities have been reported.

The destruction of water purification plants and the sewerage systems has heightened the possibility of the outbreak of diseases such as typhoid, cholera and malaria. The ordinary activities within communities have been disrupted. Roads leading to homes have been destroyed beyond recognition.

Certain areas in the Northern Province and Mpumalanga have been declared as disaster areas by the President in terms of the Fund Raising Act, 1978. One area in Mpumalanga was declared as a disaster area by the Minister for Provincial and Local Government in terms of the Civil Protection Act, 1977.

Northern Province

Action taken

• The Department of Health and Welfare is the leading the co-ordination of the provision of the social relief programme.
• From the Welfare budget, 8 067 food parcels at a total of R1 102 161-00 were purchased.
• A sum of 1 600 additional food parcels were purchased from the provincial disaster relief Fund created by the Premier.
• Thus far over 9 667 food parcels have been issued.
• The Department of Welfare personnel, assisted by the SANDF, are involved in the distribution of foodstuffs, medicines and other items to affected communities.
• Social workers are actively involved in identifying and assessing cases of need amongst individuals and families and providing counseling.

Mpumalanga

The magisterial districts of Nelspruit, Nkomazi and Nsikazi were declared as disaster in terms of the Fund-Raising Act, 1078. Mpumalnaga has suffered extensive damages to roads, bridges and houses.

Action taken

• National Department officials visited Mpumalanga on 23 to 25 February to conduct training for social workers and assist with the establishment of local committees and distribute application forms for assistance from the Disaster Relief Fund.
• 20 000 application forms for assistance, in terms of the Fund raising Act, 1978, are being distributed to affected individuals.
• The National Department has employed four contract workers to assist with processing of the application forms for these disasters.
• Welfare offices in the Provinces serve as delivery and collection points for donations.

Long term plans

• The Department in conjunction with the provinces will be conducting training of officials in disaster co-ordination within the sector in all the nine provinces.
• Permanent local committees will be established in the provinces and be trained to fast track the process of the provision of disaster relief and counseling to victims.
• An information brochure will be created, that explains up to the actual distribution of funds to victims. The document will be available to the public.