More money for poor children

A R68-million increase in the social development department’s Early Childhood Development (ECD) programme budget will benefit thousands of children.

This was announced by MEC Nancy Sihlwayi at the tabling of her budget speech at the Bhisho legislature yesterday.

In the 2017-18 financial year, the ECD programme will receive R231.1-million from the department’s overall budget of R2.6billion for the financial year.

According to Sihlwayi, her department had also increased the number of days of attendance at ECD centres from 195 to 209 a year.

Sihlwayi also announced an additional R44-million conditional grant from head office allocated to ECD services.

The amount, she said, was meant to increase access for poor children to ECD centres with 13 914 more children set to benefit, 200 of whom live with disabilities.

Of the conditional grant from Bathabile Dlamini’s national department, R12.3-million is earmarked for infrastructure renovations at 180 ECD centres across the province.

Of the amount, R2-million has been allocated to cover administration costs.

“Young people, especially women, will participate in the renovation and maintenance of ECDs to promote entrepreneurship and skills transfer,” said Sihlwayi.

“The department will also explore. . . options of alternative accommodation for ECDs that do not meet the required norms and standards to encourage their performance and promote excellence.”

In remote areas where there is no access to ECD centres, R2million was allocated to finance non-centre based EDC services.

For older persons, the department set aside R111.9-million, which will go to old age homes and service centres.

For people living with disabilities, R27.2-million was allocated. she was in KwaZulu-Natal with Zuma.

She was supposed to brief the committee on her department’s performance as well as matters pertaining to the SABC.

ANC MP Nokuzola Tolashe said the committee was always forced to rearrange its diary whenever Muthambi missed a meeting. — TMG