Eastern Cape Provincial Legislature

Eastern Cape Provincial Legislature

Procedural Support Services

REPORT OF THE STANDING COMMITTEE ON SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

Report on the final mandate on the Social Assistance Bill [B57B-2003]

Terms of Reference

The South African Social Security Agency Bill herein after referred to as the Bill was referred to the Standing Committee on Social Development on the 12September 2003 by the NCOP Business Committee for consideration.

Briefing

The Committee was briefed by Permanent Delegate Hon. N Kondlo and the Legislature's legal advisors on the content of the Bill.

Consultation

The Committee had decided to take the Bill together with Social Assistance to the public hearing on the 10 & 11^th February 2004 in Port Elizabeth and Umtata and lastly at the Legislature Chamber where different stakeholders were invited to attend.

Resolutions

The committee resolved that:

The following negotiating mandate be conferred:

To support the bill with the following:

The Child headed household should be included in Chapter one of the Bill under Definitions;

The bill is quiet when it comes to abuse of social grants by officials delaying prompt response to beneficiaries and the issue of skoppers abusing social grant beneficiaries.

__________

MP BASOPU

Chairperson of the Standing Committee on Social Development

Legislature

Province of the Eastern Cape

20 February 2004

Eastern Cape Provincial Legislature

Procedural Support Services

REPORT OF THE STANDING COMMITTEE ON SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

Report on the final mandate on the South African Social Security Agency Bill {B51B-2003]

Terms of Reference

Briefing

The Committee was briefed by Permanent Delegate Hon.N Kondlo and the Legislature's legal advisors on the content of the Bill.

Consultation

Resolutions

The Committee resolved that:

The following negotiating mandate be conferred:

To support the Bill in principle with the following serious concerns.

Whether the establishment of the Agency as proposed in the Bill was the only option available to improve service delivery.
On the face of it, organized labour has not been consulted as one of the major stakeholders.
What impact will the Bill have on the job creation/losses?
What impact will the Bill have in improving service delivery?
What will be the relationship between the Provincial department and the Agency as well as the Agency's relationship with the Provincial Legislatures and Legislators
What is going to happen to the existing service providers who have standing contracts with various provincial departments to administer social grants?
The lack of binding national norms and standards governing the interpretation and application of regulations will continue to permit inconsistent application of legislations.
Administrative deficiencies are surrounded by poor management and development of human resources.
No research in the South African context, on service delivery agencies has been forthcoming to show that the Agency is a better administrative structure than existing departmental functions.

__________

MP BASOPU

Chairperson of the Standing Committee on Social Development

Legislature

Province of the Eastern Cape

20 February 2004