The North West department of social services, arts, culture and sport has noted with dismay the article “Orphaned by the system” (April 8).
In this article, allegations are made by the Alliance for Children’s Entitlement for Social Security (Acess) to the effect that our officials were returning eligible applicants for the child-support grant (CSG) on the basis that “officials were unaware that the age limit has been raised”.
These allegations are not true as all our social security officials are, and have been, aware of the new regulations. The figures stipulated below make it clear that since the introduction of the new regulations the intake of CSG beneficiaries has increased.
We would like to put it on record that the department is making great strides in registering eligible children for the grant. At the beginning of the 2003/04 financial year, the SocPen (payment of grants system) had 206 809 CSG beneficiaries and by March 31 2004 a total of 359 841 CSG beneficiaries were on the system.
In terms of the new regulation that extended the age limit to eight years for the 2003 financial year, a total number of 40 172 CSG beneficiaries were recorded on the SocPen from April 1 2003 to March 31 2004. According to normal monthly take-up statistics, on average, a total of 7 417 CSG beneficiaries are registered a month whereas, 6 765 CSG beneficiaries have been registered a month in compliance with the new regulation.
The department has in the past years, especially 2003, embarked on registration campaigns to register eligible people for social grants with a special emphasis on the extended CSG. All the four districts of the province were reached with tremendous response from the public.
Over and above this, the department registers CSG beneficiaries at all our public gatherings. As a result of the vastness of our province, our social security staff embark on community outreach programmes to target far-flung communities who cannot access our offices.
The article also refers to the inefficient communication strategy, lack of administration capacity and insufficient training of social service officers. This is not true as the directorate: media and communication developed a comprehensive communication strategy that was implemented. Different media, both print and electronic, were used to disseminate information to the public. Adverts were placed in print media and radio talk shows were conducted on Motsweding FM as well as on three community radio stations.
We would also like to put it on record that our staff component has been increased to deal with the new regulations. The staff is continually undergoing training programmes that will assist in speeding up service delivery. Rand Afrikaans University conducts such training programmes. Staff members also have copies of user manuals that assist them on grant administration on a day-to-day basis.
It should also be noted that the North West provincial administration is one of the provinces with sound and efficient financial administration. It is therefore not true that the North West is not financially stable due to lack of capacity and administrative problems. This is also made evident by the undisputed auditor general’s report that has been received in the past years.
However, the department admits and regrets the error on the pamphlet that stipulates that affidavits and clinic cards are some of the requirements for the application of the CSG. Our staff involved in community outreach programmes have corrected this information. For this financial year (2004/05), the communication directorate will ensure that corrections are effected into new pamphlets that communicate the new age limit for the CSG. Lastly, the public must note the pamphlet in question indicates the phase-in approach of the government in terms of implementing the new regulations, contrary to what Acess claims.
It is unfortunate that organisations like Acess are quick to approach the media instead of trying to resolve impending problems with the department. We have to indicate that Acess representative Laura Markowits was briefed by our deputy director, Mpho Molema, about our admitted error on the pamphlet and it is therefore amazing that Acess jumped to the media about the same thing. It is equally important for organisations such as Acess to form partnerships with the government, as they are social development partners. We welcome Acess in our province to appreciate challenges that we are facing due to the vastness of this part of the country and stand ready to work with them.
We also request that the M&G confirm information with provinces before publishing articles such as the one at hand. I personally called your reporter to verify facts, but her telephone was perpetually not answered and I left messages. She only came to me in the afternoon and could not find me, but it was clear that the paper had already gone for printing.
Jack Monedi is spokesperson for the department of social services, arts, culture and sport