Page 124 - DSD ANNUAL REPORT 2022-2

PART C: GOVERNANCE

DATE OF THE PURPOSE OF THE RESOLUTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
MEETING MEETING
24 Social • The Committee had repeatedly asked for progress reports on the state of investigations and
November Development consequence management processes in response to allegations of fraud, as reported by the
2021 BRRR; Committee Auditor-General.
Report Quarter 3 • Concern raised that Government employees had been applying for the R350 social grant, and the
& 4 Performance Department had not yet identified the perpetrators.
of Department and • A concern raised with the accommodation of disabled children in ECD centres, but these requests
entities were inconsistently attended to.
• Request to obtain the addresses of ECD centres built by the Department.
• A request to have a meeting with the Department of Social Development (DSD) and its entities.
• A request to be briefed on the action plans related to the BRRR findings and recommendations.
• A request for a follow-up Portfolio Committee meeting to discuss annual plans and service delivery.
• A request for the DSD to provide the Committee with the names of service providers that were
involved in uncompetitive and unlawful procurement practices as found by the AG.
16 March Children’s • It was indicated that the Department had suffered a great loss in terms of the legal unit. Some staff
2022 Amendment who were working on the report had recently left which created a gap in institutional knowledge
Bill: Department in certain areas.
of Social • The Department explained to members that lack of capacity in the legal department contributed
Development to why the Department was unable to present all necessary information to the Committee
response to • The Committee had conducted public hearings on the important Children’s Amendment Bill in May
submissions by 2020, September to December 2021.
stakeholders; with • The Amendment sought to address several weaknesses in the broader Child Care and Protection
Minister System, particularly Foster Care System.
• The Department presented the responses of the key issues raised as follows:
• Funding should be provided to deserving organisations on time so that they could function fully,
the Department developed the DSD sector funding policy that guides officials on the process of
funding organisations.
• Shortage of child and youth care centres in the country. Provinces were encouraged to implement
Section 192 of the Children’s Act
• Family reunification process as a challenge.
• The Department acknowledging the process of adoption taking too long
• The Department should have exit plan for all children in the child and youth care centre
• Foster care grants not used to improve the welfare of the children. Supervision of foster placement
by social service professional are required by Section 186 of the children Act 38 of 2005
• There were approximately seventy eight thousand (78 000) social service professionals registered
with the Council. Of these, thirty-five thousand (35 000) were in NPOs, CSOs and the private sector,
while the Department and provinces had seventeen thousand, five hundred and eight (17 508).
Between October and the end of the financial year, there were three thousand, four hundred and
seventy-three (3 473) social workers on contract basis, with most employed in Gauteng (1 026) and
KZN (967). Auxiliary social workers, but the number was approximately 25 492.
23 March Children’s • Committee received briefing from the Department on its response to the public submissions
2022 Amendment Bill: received on the Children’s Amendment Bill
DSD response to • Proposals around the identification of married and unmarried fathers were discussed in relation to
submissions from a number of inputs received. Many were supported by the Department.
stakeholders; with • The Department responded why corporal punishment was not defined and explained that Section
Minister 10 of the South African Schools Act prohibited corporal punishment. The Act was promulgated
before the passing of the Constitutional Court judgement. The challenge was, if the Department
defined ‘corporal punishment,’ it might create the impression that corporal punishment was
the only punishment that was prohibited, as contemplated in the Children’s Act.
• Department Briefing on the stakeholder submissions on the Children’s Amendment Bill
• The Department agreed that mediation in matters pertaining to care and contact should
be promoted when parents found it difficult to agree on parental rights and children’s lives.
Psychosocial support should be provided in high conflict cases.

124 DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT ANNUAL REPORT 2021/22