At a KZN Social Development Portfolio Committee meeting today, the Department of Social Development reported an underachievement of 18 out of 48 of its performance indicators in the second quarter of the 2019/2020 Financial Year.
The Inkatha Freedom Party is extremely concerned at what is happening within this Department that is tasked with the well-being of the citizens of our province. Keeping in mind that it is the Department that presents an Annual Performance Plan with clear Performance Indicators, it is unacceptable that it does not achieve what it has planned. It is of serious concern that in one instance the Department reports a 13% underachievement in Care of the Elderly due to underreporting of cases yet there are two unregistered old age homes, one in Pietermaritzburg and the other in Kokstad where alleged cases of abuse of the elderly has been brought to the attention of the Portfolio Committee. It is obvious that social workers and NGOs in the province are not functioning as they are supposed to and as a result the elderly are becoming victims.
The Department reported a huge increase in child abuse cases but was not able to provide any strategies to address this scourge that is destroying the lives of our children. It became obvious that two of the most vulnerable sectors of our community are being let down by this department. The elderly and our children are at risk on a daily basis but the Department is not fulfilling its core mandate.
When the third quarter report was presented, it was realised that the situation is even worse. We are fearful that if this situation is allowed to continue, the Department will collapse and our citizens will be the victims of the very Department that is tasked with their well-being.
The IFP is calling on the MEC for Social Development to closely monitor what is happening in her department. While the HOD is under investigation for fraud and there are a number of vacant posts within the Department, we cannot see how this Department will be able to provide crucial services to the citizens of KwaZulu-Natal. The lack of acceptable performance by this department is placing our people at risk and depriving them of enjoying a good quality of life.
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Contact:
Hon Les Govender MPL
IFP KZN Spokesperson on Social Development
083 9744 894