Briefing notes for the MEC during the occasion of the Integrated Social Security Services

07 September 2004

October is usually referred to as the social development month. This is one of those rare occasions, during the year, when we showcase the breakthrough that we have made to fight and push back the frontiers of poverty.

The celebration of this month, this year, coincide with the worldwide commemoration of the tenth anniversary of the International Year of the Families, but of most importance, the commemoration of the ten years of our freedom and democracy that our people sacrificed for, even paid the highest price for it’s attainment.

Currently government is administering various types of grants targeting pensioners, children, disabled and orphans and those in need of care and aid. Through the provision of these social grants millions of our people are assured of at least a meal a day.

While the impact of these grants is visible, their full impact will only be realized when all eligible beneficiaries are registered. Of most importance is the ability of government to complete the phased extension of child support grant to cover children under the age of fourteen in 2005.

As government we are confident that we will succeed to achieve this goal, particular because of the partnership we have with the people and also with the level of commitment displayed by our frontline workers.

We take this opportunity to call on all those eligible, but are without vital documents such ID’s, birth certificates, death certificates and marriage certificates necessary to access these grants and other services to register and obtain them.

We commend the work that the Department of Home Affairs is doing in this regard. We also call on the community to report such cases as the illegal obtaining and selling of IDs and birth certificates by those not qualifying in order to obtain state grants. We also applaud the Department of Justice for smoothly and timely processing of applications for the foster care grants.

Through the national food emergency scheme, which is part of an integrated approach to eradicate food shortage and insecurity, we have responded to the immediate food crisis of those indigent households in our country and province.

The poverty relief programme has helped government to build self -reliant communities and built a culture of sustainable development among our people.

Adequate attention has been paid towards ensuring that child – headed families, orphaned and HIV and AIDS infected and affected children get support and are cared for.

We are however, concerned about level of fraud and corruption that engulf government services.

The situation is even worse in the administration and provision of social grants; particularly the disability grant and child support grant.

Government has nevertheless introduced the National fraud hotline and Register. The aim of this service is to identify areas of potential fraud, to implement measures aimed at deterring and detecting activities of fraud and to set fraud control responsibilities for all officials.

Similarly the South African Council Churches is convening a provincial Fraud and Corruption summit aimed at highlighting to our people the effects that these activities have on service delivery.

We appeal to everybody to make use of this free service to report all cases of fraud and corruption. Such cases damages our administration, increase costs, reduce services delivery, affect unemployment opportunities, and reduce efficiency and effectiveness.

We urge everybody to lend a hand and ensure that we put a stop to all these activities.

As part of the endeavor to improve on service delivery, particularly the provision and administration of social grants but also to reduce corruption and inefficiencies which has embraced the system government has introduced the National Social Security Agency which will be operational from April 2005

Together with bringing to a halt rampant fraud, the agency will manage the National database of all social grants beneficiaries and ensure that grants are paid in conditions of dignity and respect.

The agency will definitely improve the lives of ordinary people because norms and standards will be created that require that a social grant take 33 days to be fully processed and paid.

The success of this institution and other government programmes aimed at pushing back the frontiers of poverty depend on joint action and partnership with various stakeholders including business, labor, civil society, and faith based organizations.

These partners remain critical and committed signatories of the people’s contract to create a better South Africa.

We urge all those who have not yet signed the people’s contract to do so and help strengthen our families and communities for a better life for children.

I thank you.

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