Budget Vote Speech - Main address by Honourable Nokuzola Tolashe, Deputy Minister in The Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities

Honorable Chairperson,
Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee,
Honorable Members,

When the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 with its expansive Bill of Rights was promulgated, women in South Africa were so happy because they thought it will save them from their nemesis, Gender Based Violence and Femicide, however, violence against women and children continues unabated. 

In November 2022, we convened the second Presidential Summit on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide. The resolutions of the summit were adopted to respond to the key game changer question: “What more can be done to enforce accountability, accelerate and amplify efforts”? 

The Summit resolutions are a call to action that we are taking forward as government. A key takeaway emerging from the Presidential Summit was the need for whole-of-society approach. Indeed, we need communities to join and help us eradicate this pandemic. The Pandemic Plan will form part of the district development one plan and will be informed by our context; the National Strategic Plan and the Presidential Summit Resolutions. 

The scourge of Gender-Based Violence and Femicide continues to plague the country despite progress made in driving the national response. 

As the Minister indicated that President declared GBVF as a second pandemic in 2020 in the midst of COVID pandemic. We are developing the National Pandemic Plan that will seek to treat the scourge with the magnitude and vigour equivalent to that of a national disaster. It will add to the National Strategic Plan on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide in its focus on critical areas requiring urgent attention.

This measure will demonstrate the political will in tackling the scourge; and a whole-of-society approach in turning the Gender-Based Violence and Femicide tide at national, provincial and local municipality levels. 

A holistic consultative approach will be taken in line with the linkages to health and social ills such as teenage pregnancy, HIV and AIDs, substance abuse, harmful cultural practices and the triple challenges of poverty, inequality and unemployment. 

The criminal justice cluster will be consulted first on all quick wins, medium to short term interventions identified in enforcing accountability, and acceleration in implementing the resolutions that relate to protection, safety and justice.  The proposed national plan once tabled at the criminal justice cluster, will be tabled at the forum of South African Forum of the Director Generals (FOSAD).

In institutionalizing the National Strategic Plan, the Department will ensure that the plan serves on the agenda of the President’s Coordinating Committee. This will ensure that the inter-governmental aspect is elevated, and services are strengthened at the municipal level, as gender based violence and femicide happens at a local level.

Honourable members,

During the 2020/21 FY, the DWYPD signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD) around 6 priority areas identified. A steering committee was established which produced the following achievements:

Priority 1- Access/acquisition of Land

• 37% (Hectares Allocated to Women) against set target of 50%

Priority 3 - Rural Enterprise & Cooperative Development

• Total: 91 Coops - 334  member trained (155 Women, 131 Youth & 2 Persons with Disabilities)

Priority 4 – Skills Development

• A total of 969 new students enrolled at Agricultural Colleges. 760 are black and more than 50% female.

Honorable Chairperson,

The South African Law Reform Commission of the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development is due to publish the Discussion Paper on the Disability Rights Bill. Once published, the Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities will rollout wide consultations with the disability sector, the legal fraternity and the academia. 

We are pleased to also announce that the Protocol on the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the rights of persons with disabilities in Africa is due to be deposited at the African Union. The Department will ensure domestication of the AU protocol.

To take the work forward following the National Assembly approval that South African Sign Language become the 12th official language in South Africa. South African Sign language is offered as a subject in the school curriculum in South Africa.

The Department, PanSALB and the Deaf Community and other stakeholders will continue to work together to realise the aspects and the processes of the South African Sign Language Charter. Responsible stakeholders will in line with the charter implement measures to ensure South African Sign Language is made available to citizenry to effect accessible communication for persons who are deaf.

The Department of Women Youth and Persons with Disabilities hosted the Economic Summit for Persons with Disabilities with objective to dismantle the barriers limiting access and participation of persons with disabilities in the mainstream economy.

The Summit identified stakeholders and assigned responsibilities to departments to fast track disability inclusion in the economic activities which includes ensuring that persons with disabilities are part of the economic value chain as employees and entrepreneurs and are supported accordingly.

It is a sad reality that some individuals and communities within our country still believe in harmful superstitions and myths surrounding albinism. Persons with Albinism remain targets of femicide, kidnappings and atrocities .The Department in partnership with the Task Force on Albinism will develop a program to advocate, educate and create awareness around the prevention of discrimination and violence against persons with Albinism.

The Department will continue to monitor compliance with national and international obligations for the rights of persons with disabilities in accordance with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. We will work on this in partnership with relevant stakeholders, particularly the National Home Builders Registration Council and Department of Public Works, amongst other stakeholders. 

The Impact of Climate change on Persons with disabilities and their inclusion in Climate change action, adaptation and Mitigation strategies. 

The Department will collaborate with various partners including the United Nations partnership on the rights of persons with disabilities, the International Disability Alliance, University of Johannesburg, the university of Ghana and York University on research and recommendations on Climate change effects on persons with disabilities. 

A status report on the impact of climate change on persons with disabilities and how they should be included in climate change action will be developed by the Department.

Research will be conducted on Access to Education support and services for children and young people with disabilities. The research will serve as an evidential basis to mobilise the public and private sectors to provide resources and assistive devices to special and mainstream schools that have learners with disabilities.

Honourable Members, 

I am pleased to announce that the Department commissioned a formative evaluation study on the implementation of the Gender Responsive Planning Budgeting Monitoring and Evaluation framework, the findings of the evaluation pointed to more government departments that are implementing the framework. We acknowledge that more work still needs to be done to ensure that the priorities of women, youth and persons with disabilities are mainstreamed in plans of departments.  

Our Monitoring as reported in Cabinet in 2022, shows that of the 16 National departments that responded to the self-assessment monitoring, 8 departments were rated at over 50% level of implementation of the framework and this is a welcomed improvement. One of the challenges is the response rate by the department and Cabinet has recommended that all national departments, provincial departments and their entities must comply with the reporting requirements of DWYPD.

We continue to localize of the GRPBMEA framework, in 2022, we presented the framework at the provincial Portfolio Based Councilors Inductions in six provinces. We are collaborating with the Department of Corporative Government (DCOG) and the South African Local Government Association (SALGA) with the first priority being to conduct the gender, youth and disability responsiveness analysis of the Integrated Development Plans and One Plans of the District Development Model in 2023/24. 

In conclusion, Honourable Chairperson,

We must remain grounded and loyal to the mandate of improving the livelihood of the most vulnerable in society. 

We all have a role to play. 

Malibongwe!