Department of social development
'Punished for being poor' - activists slam new rules on R350 Covid-19 grant
Presenter John Maytham chats to Isobel Frye, the director of the Social Policy Initiative.
A handover will take place between Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga and Minister of Social Development Lindiwe Zulu in Pretoria on Friday morning.
The Department of Social Development will receive the largest allocation of R58.6 billion over the medium term, with R44 billion of that allocated for a 12-month extension of the R350 social relief of distress grant.
At almost 35%, the unemployment rate as well as the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on people have prompted government to build a policy document that will justify why South Africa needs a basic income grant.
The Social Development Department in Limpopo says the suspect arrested for killing seven of his relatives on Christmas Day should not be granted bail.
Minister Lindiwe Zulu will be celebrating the birthday of one of the country's oldest living residents, Margaret Maritz, who turns 115-years-old on Monday.
Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana said the special relief of distress grant could be replaced by another similar measure.
The Social Development Department said that it would clarify its proposed mandatory pension fund after withdrawing the green paper on the social security and retirement reforms after criticism.
The Social Development Department said that the COVID-19 crisis had amplified existing structural gaps which called on government to review and take drastic measures to come up with a plan.
The national department announced last week that the social development sector would be prioritised for vaccinations due to the essential nature of the services rendered by the sector.
The department of social development and Statistics SA will host the first ever National Migration and Urbanisation Conference starts on Monday and ends on Thursday.
Thousands of employees in the sector including early childhood development (ECD) teachers, social workers, and community development practitioners will get their jabs from Friday, at 37 different sites in the province.
Haji Mohamed Dawjee has criticised the Department of Social Development in the Western Cape for the removal of a three-year-old child from his mother and what she describes as its lack of care in the matter. This is their response.
She said the economy was taking strain, but the department would first ensure that vulnerable households get food.
Minister Lindiwe Zulu is outlining measures to ensure compliance to the regulations and is giving an update on Early Childhood Development (ECD), old age homes, and Community Nutrition and Development Centres (CNDC) among others.
Thousands of teachers and their support staff began receiving their COVID-19 vaccine jabs this week, however, teachers who serve under the department of social development are not included.
Out of an over 180,000 early childhood development workforce, only around 42,000 practitioners who fall under the Department of Basic Education will be vaccinated, while the majority were a component of Department of Social Development.
Minister Lindiwe Zulu presented her department's Budget vote on Tuesday.
The groups called for the R350 grant to be extended until a legislative and policy framework with a secure budget is in place for the implementation of a basic income grant.