Gauteng MEC of Agriculture
Gauteng MEC of Agriculture, Rural and Social Development Nandi Mayathula-Khoza says her department is guided by the strategic priorities of the provincial government.
“We are using an outcomes-based approach and have developed a turnaround strategy to bring a shift in the way in which the department provides services to the poor, including the gender, youth, elderly and disability sectors in terms of speed, access and transformation,” she says.
To this end, the department is looking at a multi-pronged approach which encompasses quality healthcare, early childhood development, safety, job creation and rural development.
Health issues
On quality healthcare, the Department is implementing initiatives that involve the provision of psychosocial support services, including counselling, material and nutritional support, and specialised services such as memory work facilitation and succession planning, targeting those affected by HIV/Aids.
“It is also important for us to look at how these services will result in the increased well-being and quality of life for vulnerable children. We are committed to community home-based programmes supporting those families who not only suffer from HIV/Aids but who are also affected by the disease,” she says.
Most of the departmental interventions are run through the Home Community Based Care Programme. This includes the provision of food parcels to almost 42 500 people and daily meals to approximately 118 000 people.
Education is the foundation
Another critical priority area in the province, says Mayathula-Khoza, is that of supporting quality education for children to ensure that they are developed holistically.
“Early childhood development results in a lot of value for children and provides them with the foundation they need. We feel that if one addresses this development in children up to the age of five, they will grow up to be capable and successful later in life.”
This will see the Department launching 12 Early Childhood Development Centres in Gauteng over the next year. These centres will be staffed by educators and care givers who will receive the necessary training to ensure children there cultivate the right developmental skills. Once children leave these centres, they should have the cognitive skills required to do well at school.
The value of public and private partnerships can also not be underestimated. Mayathula-Khoza feels that government on its own will never be able to reach this – or any of the other – key objective without the assistance of NGOs, non-profit organisations and the private sector.
“Business can help focus on the development of children by adopting an Early Childhood Development Centre and providing some of the basic necessities required for the Centre,” she says.
Protecting communities
But healthcare and education mean nothing if people do not feel safe. The Department takes the approach of recognising crime as part of a broader social challenge.
“As a department, we are guided by the national priorities and the existing Acts and crime prevention strategies that are in place. However, there is a high level of social crime in Gauteng, so we have customised our programmes to acknowledge this,” she adds.
Campaigns have been put in place to sensitise communities about the need to eradicate crime in general and specifically the abuse of women and children. The Department has established child protection committees that target both the perpetrators of crime and their victims in five regions within the province.
“We are working on initiatives that teach boys and men how to respect women. We are also working with several NGOs that are focused towards men to sensitise them about the impact
violence against women and children has in society. Yes, a lot of work still needs to be done, but we can ensure that it is successful by working together.”
It is especially important to empower victims of crime, says Mayathula-Khoza.
“It is often said that it takes a village to raise a child, but then it has to be a good village. Children need to feel safe in their community and where they go to school. The community must get involved with our initiatives and our social workers must mobilise families to support one another.”
With the high prevalence of social crime as a result of substance abuse, social workers in the province are increasing their follow-up visits to addicts who have left clinics to ensure that they stay clean of both drugs and alcohol.
Growing the economy
As part of the nation-wide Expanded Public Works Programme, the Department is looking at job creation through social infrastructure development.
“There are a number of initiatives in place to help people not only empower themselves but also contribute to the economy. Whether they are youth and women development programmes or disability programmes, we want to give people the skills and platforms they need to become part of the economy,” she says.
For example, the Department is helping groups to establish cooperatives such as the one which has women sewing uniforms, which are then purchased by government. Another component of this is the rural development initiatives of the province. This sees the Department establishing a food pack scheme to provide food to children from poor backgrounds by purchasing from farmers in the province.
“We are also planting food trees and revitalising food gardens to ensure children get access to nutritious food. There are five food banks in each of the five regions of the province which assist the poorest of the poor.”
The young and the old
Through its development centres, the Department provides training to the youth, prioritising the most critical skills areas. These programmes include life, technical and business skills and the Department plans to reach approximately 7 500 young people through these programmes this financial year.
“There is a small window of opportunity when working with the youth, but we also do not want to nurture young people who become reliant on government. Instead, our initiatives are designed to give them the skills they need to take control of their lives. Social change is a problem in South Africa, so we are creating opportunities for the youth to be involved,” says Mayathula-Khoza.
Focusing on the youth, though, does not come to the expense of addressing the plight experienced by the elderly. The Department has reinforced its commitment to ensure that the elderly remain at the epicentre of a caring and development state.
“We are committed to caring and supporting our older people. They raised us and we need to take care of them. They have played an important role in the establishment of the free society we have today so we need to make sure that their rights are protected.”
Expectations
Yet, as is the case with many, the Department has a limited budget with which to address what seems like an infinite need.
“We consult with our citizens to get a sense of their needs. The communities guide us to prioritise the needs we must focus on and we then distribute the budget accordingly. Of our total budget of approximately R2.5-billion, we allocate R1.2-billion to NGOs and non-profit organisations which are vital to communities.”
What targets has the Department set for itself for the next five to 10 years?
“Being part of national government, we are guided by the Millennium Development Goals, of which a key one is halving poverty by 2015. To do this, we also need to make sure that we reduce crime and unemployment. I want us to be seen as a department which has helped the country reduce inequalities. With the campaigns we are taking to communities, we are strongly positioning the message that everybody is created equal.”