Pretoria – The Department of Social Development has received a clean audit report for the fiscal year 2012/13.
Giving his opinion on the finances of the department, Auditor General Terence Nombembe said the financial statements “present fairly in all material respects”.
“The financial position of the department as at 31 March 2013, and its financial performance and cash flows for the year then, ended in accordance with the departmental financial reporting framework prescribed by the National Treasury and the requirements of the Public Finance Management Act,” Nombembe said.
The department’s annual report was presented to the Portfolio Committee on Social Development in Parliament today by Minister Bathabile Dlamini.
The Auditor-General found that the department achieved an overall spending rate of 99.1% for the financial year. The bulk of the department’s annual budget of over R112 billion is spent on social assistance.
While there is an amount of R999 million for the payment of social grants that was not transferred, this does not reflect under-expenditure. This is because expenditure projections are done in such a way that will ensure there isn’t a shortfall to pay current and prospective beneficiaries that will enter the system.
Social assistance continues to form an important part of government’s strategy to fight the triple challenge of poverty, inequality and unemployment.
Social grant beneficiaries increase
During the year under review, social grant beneficiaries increased to 16 106 110, thus protecting thousands more households and millions of children from abject poverty.
Although the number of beneficiaries increased, government was able to make savings on social grant payments when the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) cleaned up fraud in the system through the beneficiary re-registration process.
Dlamini has expressed satisfaction with the performance of the department, saying that they’ve made great strides towards achieving their goals during the past financial year.
“The clean audit caps a year in which the department has recorded a number of crucial successes. The achievements summarised in our annual report reflect our commitment to the creation of an inclusive and caring society,” Dlamini said.
ECD services top dept’s agenda
Dlamini said the department recognises that one of the ways of breaking the cycle of inter-generational poverty is investment in children to aid their development, especially at the age from 0 – 4.
“The provision of Early Childhood Development (ECD) services, therefore, continues to be at the top of the department’s agenda.”
The department’s successes in the 2012/2013 financial year include the 15% increase in the number of children (up to school going age) accessing ECD programmes, which now stands at 124 870.
To ensure that ECD centres in the country provide an adequate service and improve their capacity, the department conducted audits in 6 216 ECD centres in all provinces.
Child care and protection measures were also improved, where the department was able to place 157 024 children in foster care, while the number of children accessing drop-in centres increased by 450%.
Protecting the vulnerable
The department is tasked with facilitating and monitoring the implementation of the Food for All Programme, and to this end, 555 957 distressed households were provided with food through the department and Food Bank South Africa programme.
“While social relief of distress provides short term relief for poor households, government recognises that longer term solutions are needed. This is why the drive for employment creation remains critical,” Dlamini said.
During the year under review, the department created 171 668 job opportunities in the Social Sector and extended the number of Community Work Programme sites by 148.
The presentation of the annual report to the Portfolio Committee comes within days of the conclusion of Older Persons Week, aimed at promoting respect for the rights of older persons.
In its efforts to create an enabling environment for protecting and promoting the rights of older persons, the department registered 104 community-based care and support services for older persons. A further 180 residential care facilities were registered.
The number of older persons benefiting from community-based care and support services increased to 35 197.
The Global AgeWatch Index Report, released on 30 September 2013, ranks South Africa second in Africa, behind Mauritius on programmes implemented to secure the wellbeing of older persons. The Global AgeWatch Index is a global study conducted by the United Nations and an elder rights group, the Help Age. – SAnews.gov.za
