Page 8 - Department of Social Development Annual Report 2021

PART A: GENERAL INFORMATION
3 FOREWORD BY THE MINISTER

During these exceptional times where we had to innovate
the accessibility of our services, I take pride in introduc-
ing this Annual Report wherein our achievements and
challenges during the period under review are encapsu-
lated. The report is a reflection of our ongoing commit-
ment to realise government’s seven priorities towards
improving human-level outcomes for each South African.
Government’s most effective measure for combating
poverty and inequalities continues to be SASSA’s admin-
istration of +18.4 million social grants among the most
vulnerable among South Africans. Additionally, between
April and October 2020 SASSA administered top-up
grants. These timely interventions are a demonstration of
our determination to protect South Africans against all
forms of vulnerability.

Pre-eminent among the policy proposals that we devel-
oped in the area of social security is the implementation
of the Basic Income Grant. This grant category is
designed to provide income support for individuals of
working age between 18 and 59 years old, and are
currently not accessing social assistance.

For instance, during the reporting period we tabled the
Resulting from the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic and Fund Raising Amendment Bill in Parliament. The amend-
the conditions that accompanied the national lockdown ments that are contained in the Bill are intended at
restrictions, the past financial year was the most consolidating all the country’s relief funds into a single
challenging period in living memory. Fund. While this will result in enhanced institutional
integration and efficiencies in disaster situations, it will
On the one hand, the pandemic impacted on our collec- further improve our responsiveness to disasters in differ-
tive lives and livelihoods in previously-unthinkable ways. ent parts of the country. We also introduced the
In many respects, the advent of the pandemic worsened Children’s Amendment Bill in Parliament in August 2020.
the challenges of poverty, unemployment and inequali- The Bill aims to strengthen the current childcare and
ties while it increased uncertainty, panic and distrust protection system.
among or people. We witnessed the opportunistic
increase in social ills such as gender-based violence and In preparation for the effective implementation of the
femicide, the abuse of children, instances of violence, White Paper for Social Development — and in a manner
substance abuse and post-traumatic stress disorders. that is consistent with achieving the goals of the
Consequently, these extraordinary realities nudged the Cabinet-adopted District Development Plan — the
Department and its entities — South African Social Department developed the draft implementation plan
Security Agency (SASSA) and the National Development that provides for the implementation of the White Paper
Agency (NDA) — to assume an innovate posture in the by the Departments of Social Development at all spheres
delivery of our services. of government, other government departments, non-gov-
ernmental organisations, community-based organisa-
On the other, the lived reality of COVID-19 at the human, tions, and through active citizenship.
family and community levels prompted us to establish
innovative, locally-responsive and globally-relevant On the international front, we continued to participate in
interventions within the Social Development mandate. a number of high-level bilateral and multilateral
For instance, within 26 days of instituting the COVID-19 exchanges through which we promoted South Africa’s
national lockdown, President Cyril Ramaphosa tasked us foreign policy goals and elevated our country’s social
with the responsibility to develop and administer the development policies and programmes to regional and
necessary cash transfer infrastructure for the implemen- global scrutiny. Some of the most notable institutions in
tation of the special COVID-19 Social Relief of Distress which we participated include the United Nations Popu-
grant. This grant targeted unemployed beneficiaries. lation Fund (UNFPA), the Foreign Commonwealth and
Likewise, we digitised the process of registering Development Office (FCDO), the African Union (AU),
non-profit organisations; and entered into beneficial amongst others.
partnerships that enhanced the State’s capacity to
accommodate the homeless and provide food to the
hungry.

8 DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT ANNUAL REPORT 2020/21

Sadly, while relentlessly serving South Africans, the Social
Development Portfolio lost a number of staff members
due to COVID-19. I dedicate this report to these departed
countrywomen and -men who were in the frontlines of our
national response.

I thank Deputy Minister Hendrietta Bogopane-Zulu for her
solid contributions towards the realisation of this
mandate. I am grateful for the working relationship
between ourselves and the Members of the Executive
Committee for Social Development.

I also thank the Acting Director-General of the Depart-
ment, members of the Executive Committee and all staff
of the Department, our entities and the Members of the
Executive Council in all nine provinces for their continued
support and encouragement.

Your collective commitment brings us closer to the estab-
lishment of an inclusive society and prosperity for all
South Africans envisioned by uMama Charlotte Maxeke as
we commemorate the 150 years of her courageous life
and pioneering spirit, which continues to inspire the work
of the DSD portfolio.

I am proud to be part of a team of women and men who
have dedicated themselves to Building a Caring Society.
Together!