Page 28 - DSD ANNUAL REPORT 2022-2

PART B: PERFORMANCE INFORMATION

9 3 SERVICE DELIVERY ENVIRONMENT IN 2021/22
ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE

The Social Development Sector delivers its services in an social assistance framework is achieved
environment marked by high levels of poverty, unemployment, • The Green Paper on Comprehensive Social Security and
and inequality. To respond adequately to these challenges, the Retirement Reform was gazetted for public comments. This
Department has committed itself through its plans to implement Paper presents the significant gaps in South Africa’s social
a number of interventions in the areas of social assistance, security system and presents recommendations. The intent is
social welfare and community development services. Focus from to build a comprehensive social security system that meets the
measuring outputs to the outcomes has given the Department and Constitutional mandate of ensuring access to social security
its partners a unique opportunity to help achieve some government- for all. The proposals in the Green Paper, if implemented, will
wide outcomes. The Department initiated the development of improve the coverage and adequacy of social security benefits,
strategic and innovative response measures to protect the lives of while improving the responsiveness of the institutional
the people and to ensure that the gains to improve quality of life framework to ensure universal coverage through coherent
are not washed away. policymaking and equitable financing.
• The Policy on Maternal Support has been revised and
Comprehensive Social Security stakeholder consultations was conducted with National Child
Care and Protection Forum (NCCPF), Social grants beneficiaries
The Department continued to expand access to social security and the Provincial DSD. The Maternal Support Policy will
through the monthly transfer of funds to the South African Social integrate the relevant systems from key departments such
Security Agency (SASSA) for the provision of social grants to as the Department of Home Affairs (DHA), DoH (Department
eligible beneficiaries. The Department continued to oversee the of Health), DBE (Department of Basic Education) (ECD and
management and administration of social grants by SASSA and Education), DSD, Employment and Labour, and SASSA. The
remained accountable for the R234 billion received for the payment linkage of pregnant women to comprehensive social protection
of social grants. Additional funding of R26.2 billion was allocated package would further contribute to the ongoing development
in the 2021/22 Adjusted Estimates of National Expenditure for of synergistic linkages between services provided by the DSD
the payment of the SRD R350 grant until 31 March 2022. This and the rest of government.
required close collaboration between the Department and SASSA • The Policy on Linking Children Grants Beneficiaries to
in analysing expenditure trends and financial compliance to ensure Government Services has been revised, and stakeholder
that appropriated funds are spent in line with the Department’s consultations were conducted with National Child Care and
mandate. Protection Forum (NCCPF), Social grants beneficiaries and
the provincial DSD. The Policy on Linking Children Grants
The Department continued to formulate policies and legislative Beneficiaries will integrate social welfare services, education,
proposals for contributory income support aimed at protecting and health within the cash transfer context, through improved
households against life cycle risks such as unemployment, ill access and cooperation, alongside economic support.
health, retirement, disability and the death of a breadwinner. These
policy reforms are intended to create a social security system Welfare Services
that covers everyone in the country, ensuring that those who are
unable to support themselves are provided with social grants, The Department continued to strengthen social welfare service
while those in both formal and informal employment are provided delivery through legislative and policy reforms. These reforms
with an institutional platform to make mandatory and voluntary include among others,
contributions to cover themselves and their families against these • The draft Regulations for the Children’s Amendment Bill
life cycle risks. was consulted with various key stakeholders. The draft
regulations to give effect to this process and to prepare for
In pursuit of this, the Department developed the following policies: effective implementation of the Children’s Amendment Bill
• A Policy Proposal on Income Support to 18 to 59-year-olds The regulations will also provide procedures and guidelines
has been reviewed and finalised. To this end, stakeholder that dictate how the provisions of the Amendment Act will
consultations were conducted. The Policy on Income Support be applied. The Bill aims to strengthen the current childcare
to 18-59-year-olds will expand the safety net to this and protection system, to address court orders and provide the
vulnerable group whilst also ensuring improved targeting of necessary legislative reform to respond to challenges affecting
government services that will assist in empowering social children.
grant beneficiaries. • The development of the draft Quality Assurance and Support
• A draft SASSA Amendment Bill was developed during the year. System during the period under review. The Quality Assurance
The main aim of the amendment is to improve the governance and Support System will be used to define quality, guide
arrangements for the Entity. The process to obtain approval providers in terms of quality and support required to deliver
for the amendment and submitting the Bill to Parliament ECD services, which is one of the critical issues in the provision
will commence in the next financial year. The Draft SASSA of ECD services is quality.
Amendment Bill will address some governance weaknesses • Revising the White Paper on Families. The White Paper was
in the current legislation to enhance the supervision and gazetted for public consultations in June 2021. This was
oversight of SASSA to ensure that the legislative intent of the followed by consultation in all provinces, where officials from

28 DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT ANNUAL REPORT 2021/22