The Inkatha Freedom Party has for many years been at the forefront of calling on Government to pay social grants for children, by considering the use of alternative forms of identification.
On the 6th of November 2007 I raised this very issue in Parliament when I
said: "We need to be very sensitive to the issues raised by ACESS, namely that 40% of our must vulnerable eligible children are unable to access these grants because they lack birth certificates and also that potential care-givers lack IDs. We need to take note of the court case ACESS has brought against the Ministry and Department of Social Development and hope that the outcome will enable us to find a way of documenting these victims of circumstances beyond their control. Grants are there for the very purpose of alleviating hardships for children."
Now, the IFP is absolutely shocked to read that while the Department of Social Development has been locked in a lengthy three year court battle with the Alliance for Children's Entitlement to Social Security (ACESS), legislation has been in force since April 2006 which allows for the use of other forms of identification such as baptism certificates, in accessing social grants.
This week Minister Zola Skweyiya admitted to this error on the part of his department.
This appalling error may have, for the past two years, led to thousands and thousands of children going hungry, maybe even dying of malnutrition. We believe this appalling error only points to the following: gross incompetence, mismanagement and negligence within this Department.
IFP deplores this horrible bungling and we call on the Minister to take immediate remedial action to address this issue.
For more information:
Ms Inka Mars MP: 083 303 6037
Liezl van der Merwe: 083 611 7470
