‘Department must do more on the ground’

DESPITE the Northern Cape Department of Social Development’s commendable performance in terms of astute financial management, the department still needs to up its game on the ground.

This was the DA’s response during the debate on the department’s budget vote at the provincial legislature yesterday.

DA spokesperson on Social Development, Dr Isak Fritz, said that there were areas within the department that needed urgent improvement. “There are two things that demand attention in order to adequately improve and increase the delivery of services on the ground, which are social workers and nonprofit organisations (NPOs). These are the core ingredients of a targeted social service system and, if optimised and efficient, they could go a long way towards expanding the department’s services within the limitations of its budget. Social workers are the foot soldiers who bring social services to the people,” said Fritz.

He said that more needed to be done to improve those employed in the field.

“The DA welcomes the implementation of the nationally instituted Social Worker Employment Grant, which will enable the appointment of two additional social workers in the Northern Cape. However, given the temporary nature of grants, the provincial department must make provision in future budgets to ensure the sustained employment of the new employees.

“It is clear that this department urgently needs to do some planning in respect of bursaries, exit strategies for its bursary holders and skills development programmes for its social workers. It also needs to start facing its real challenge head on. This is not a challenge in respect of a shortage of social workers, but rather a lack of experienced social workers.”

Fritz pointed out that NPOs had the expertise and flexibility to do what the department cannot do and, by outsourcing services to NPOs, they become “invaluable” in filling the large gaps in the provision of services offered by the department. “These are critical services such as victim empowerment services, substance abuse services and ECD services.”

Fritz also called on transparency within the department regarding the allocation of funds.

“It is disturbing to learn that there is a shortfall of at least R28 million with regards to the completion of the substance abuse centre. At the start of this project, I appealed to the MEC and the department to ensure that this project does not become like the never-ending mental health hospital project. Substance abuse in the Province is out of control. There can be no denying that we need our own staterun in-patient centre for addicts but I am starting to doubt the value of this project. Every day that this project goes beyond its scheduled due date, is another day that services to our drug afflicted citizens is denied. I appeal to this department to do more to achieve a caring and self-reliant society without delays.”

He added the transparency in funding also needed closer inspection. “We must consider that the department has again failed to submit a breakdown of its intended allocations to NPOs to the legislature. In fact, the department thought it appropriate for the portfolio committee to vote in good faith on its budget, despite us having a blind spot of more than R231 million. This is not acceptable and serves to expose a gross lack of responsibility and accountability on the part of the department.”

Fritz said that there had to be absolute transparency with regards to transfers to NPOs, otherwise the committee was “signing a blank cheque for the department to do as it pleases with public funds”.

“In this regard, the DA will provisionally support this budget vote on condition that we receive the mentioned breakdown of funding to NPOs. I do this on the basis that I do not want payments to NPOs to be delayed, as a delay in payments to NPOs means a halt in services.