Honourable Speaker,
Citizens of South Africa,
With a budget of R37.5 million the Department Social Development is mandated to serve the poorest citizens of this country through its support of non-profit organisations (NPO).
It is still very evident that the Department does not have a clear plan on how they can best assist our most vulnerable communities.
We have established that the Department does not have an adequate NPO database yet, and the one currently in use is managed manually which is very difficult to monitor.
If the Department can move fast on implementing this, it could off load the burden on NPO’s as it will assist them in identifying, by a click of a button, how many NPO’s are funded and on what basis.
The absence of a proper management mechanism for NPO databases have dire consequences as many
NPO’s continue to struggle financially, and have already had to close down.
One such example is The Saving Grace situated in Lekwa Local Municipality in Mpumalanga. It is run by Mrs. Bongiwe Immaculate Sibeko, and it used to house around 18 children with ages ranging between 2 and 18 years.
Most of these children are orphaned and The Saving Grace was their only home, but today they are ALL homeless. We cannot continue to fail our children in this manner.
Women and Child Protection
We condemn the killing of women in our country in the strongest terms possible. Perpetrators of these killings should be given the maximum life sentences possible.
I wish to welcome Judge Peet Johnson’s heavy sentencing of one such case where on the 3rd May 2018. He sentenced Sandile Mantsoe to 32 years in jail for killing Karabo Mokoena.
Unfortunately there are many such unreported cases like one Ms. Fikile Ngwenya from Lekwa who resided in Rooikoppen was found dead in her house on the 10th April 2018.
She was allegedly strangled to death by her boyfriend.
I also need to mention Fikile Nengovhela, who was reportedly shot and killed by her husband together with her 6 month old baby in Evander, Govan Mbeki Municipality on the 3rd of May 2018.
It is critical to note these are only reported cases.
The DA is also concerned about the alleged serial women abuser, ANC MP, Mduduzi Manana who allegedly violently abused his domestic worker. We call on law enforcement agencies especially the NPA to prosecute Manana without fear or favour and to ensure that he faces the full might of the law.
There is a growing need for government to implement programmes that will raise awareness on how best to manage their anger and channel their energy in a constructive manner, and to prevent women and children from becoming victims of domestic violence.
People with disabilities
It is alarming to learn that the Welfare Services Policy Development and Implementation Support budget for people who are living with disabilities have been decreased by 2%, on the back of the 1% increment on VAT.
This decrease will have a severe impact on the much needed research to be done to find lasting and effective solutions to assist people living with disabilities.
We challenge the ANC government to start taking our people seriously by investing more money in this section of Social Development Programme.
This budget is proof that the ANC does not care about the needs of vulnerable communities within our society. The DA is the only party that can build a South Africa