Department of Social Development Appropriation Bill – Vote 7 - Budget Speech
Social Development Appropriation Bill – Vote 7
4 April 2025
Honorable Speaker
Honorable Premier and Cabinet colleagues,
Honorable Members of the Provincial Legislature,
Members of the media and public,
Citizens of the Western Cape,
My honoured guests joining us in the gallery tonight,
Good evening, goeie naand, molweni nonke!
I rise to table the Appropriation Bill for the Department of Social Development.
During his State of the Province Address, Premier Alan Winde called on residents and leaders to step up to build a better Western Cape. In her tabling of the Provincial Budget last month, Finance Minister Deidre Baartman also spoke about the province stepping up to deliver for all its residents.
This is what the Western Cape Department of Social Development has continued to do, despite facing tremendous challenges such as a grim global and national economic outlook, a pandemic, and a rapid increase in demand for services amid dwindling resources.
Despite all this, the tenacity of the management of this Department and the staff working on the ground have proven time and time again to be greater than the obstacles. The Department has used ingenuity, innovation, available resources, and most importantly: partnerships, to continue delivering on its mandates.
The Department received an 8% increase in its budget allocation for 2025/2026, from R2.522 billion in the previous financial year to R2.725 billion. Thereafter it is expected to increase to R2.796 billion and R2.916 billion in 2026/2027 and 2027/2028 respectively.
We are grateful for a Provincial Government that shows it truly cares for the incredible organisations that help strengthen the Department’s hand in rendering crucial social services to residents of the Western Cape. The Department has received a significant increase in its transfer funding and subsidies for NGOs from R1.011 billion in 2024/2025 to R1.107 billion.
SOCIAL WORKERS
Honourable Speaker,
I mentioned the Department is always stepping up, I have seen this through the staff who daily go above and beyond to serve the most vulnerable residents of this province.
Some of these social work professionals are here today from the different regions across the province (acknowledge gallery).
Thank you to colleagues like Finance Minister Baartman who appreciates the value of social work professionals. Die Departement se mense doen baie met min. And we can do so much more if we receive our fair share of the national budget as a province. Thank you to members like Member Kaizer-Philander who have joined us in the call to National Government, especially National Treasury, to recognize social workers as essential personnel (along with other members of the SC: Members Booysen, Van Wyk, Van Minnen, Kamfer, Stephens, and Cassiem).
I am encouraged that when I raised this at our last MINMEC meeting, there was a buy-in from the other MECs of Social Development as well as our national counterparts. We thus hope National government will soon recognize the invaluable work social workers do. Without them, who would hold the seams of society’s fabric together?
These individuals often face hazardous situations, such as hijackings and assault, while trying to do their work in communities. We are now in a situation – similar to other government frontline workers – where staff cannot venture into certain areas without a police escort. They are not even safe at facilities or offices, where vandalism sometimes occurs. Our child and youth care workers likewise face high risk conditions working in secure care with children who often exhibit challenging and even violent behaviour.
I am thus pleased with the R15 million additional funding to increase the safeguarding of DSD staff at facilities and offices. This will help to ensure staff feel safe and secure, which is vital for their emotional and mental wellbeing so they can serve residents more effectively.
The Department received an additional R4.8 million for 2025/2026 to pay for increased municipal services, and maintenance and repairs at departmental facilities.
Thank you to Minister Simmers and the Department of Infrastructure for the continuous engagements to see how we can unlock assets that will benefit the residents of the Western Cape who are reliant on social services.
Besides safety, social workers will always tell you about the immense administrative pressures they face every day. Last year – in the spirit of “stepping up” – we launched the Social Work Integrated Management System Application, or SWIMS App, to address this issue in partnership with the Centre for e-Innovation. Thank you to the Premier and the Centre for e-Innovation for supporting us every step of the way with this groundbreaking project. It has already changed the way 1067 social work professionals within the Department are doing their work. To date over 59 000 cases have been captured on SWIMS, and the number grows daily.
As Behanca Smal, a social worker from Langeberg, said, “It makes my life so much easier because we don’t always get time to write things out while we’re on the move, but with SWIMS I can be in the community and log a case on my phone.”
This rings especially true for the social workers who have been using the DSD Mobile Office. They say the SWIMS App has helped them log cases online even in the most remote parts of the province. Thank you to Minister Sileku and his department for assisting us in servicing these remote areas by providing us with mobile offices. We now have three offices in the Central Karoo, West Coast, and Cape Winelands/Overberg regions.
I am so excited about the R4 million in additional funding allocated in this budget for the further development, enhancement, and roll-out of the SWIMS App to the NGO sector. So many more social workers’ lives can be made easier with the app, and it will ultimately benefit the residents who they serve. With less time on admin, they will have more time for therapeutic work.
Thank you to Stellcare for being the first NGO to use the app, and thank you to all the departments and other organisations that have shown interest in being part of a social work revolution!
Thank you especially to the incredible DSD staff that walk a journey with residents, as one social worker said “We are with them from birth to death.”
CHILD PROTECTION
Honourable Speaker,
This journey is especially important for the children and youth in the care of DSD and Designated Child Protection Organisations.
Just ask Luphumlo Mahlubi, a matriculant from Delft who I met at a career day held by DSD at Northlink College last year for foster children. Luphumlo – who is here today – gave me his wish list for the budget speech which reads as follows:
- I would love for there to be more foster care parents, because there are a lot of children in our communities who need the care.
I’ve got good news for you Luphumlo.
DSD’s Child and Youth Care programme received an increase of over R10 million, going from R123 million in 2024/2025 to R133 million in 2025/2026. The Child Care and Protection programme increased by R20 million, from R247 million in the previous financial year to R268 million.
A centre will be established for children from Child and Youth Care Centres following stabilisation within a secure care centre, along with an independent living programme for youth discharged from a CYCC. 30 children will benefit from this centre. The Department will also fund a specialist centre for children who were victims of trafficking.
An additional R6 million has been allocated in 2025/26 and R13 million over the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) to increase subsidies to Designated Child Protection Organisations. This will enhance their support for vulnerable children like those in the foster system.
We have also been pushing for exactly what Luphumlo is asking for: for more safety and foster parents, through a child protection campaign we’ve been running in the media. Thank you to caring individuals like Speaker Mitchell and those safety parents here today (in the gallery) who have heeded the call to provide a temporary place of safety to children who are facing difficult challenges.
For anyone who needs proof of the lifechanging impact of a foster parent and social workers, look to the gallery where there are several social workers – like Channon Saayman from Hessequa, Mariel Opperman from Drakenstein, and Zodwa Ngqalo from Langa – who were once in the foster system and are now making a difference in their communities.
I must commend Minister Maynier and his department that do great work under incredible pressure to provide quality education for vulnerable children, including the children in our system. Thank you to you.
For at-risk youth, an additional R1 million has been allocated for 2025/2026 and R2 million for the MTEF to increase the delivery of diversion programmes and crime prevention programmes in schools. The Department will also expand a reintegration and After-Care programme for child offenders discharged from our own Secure Care Centres.
An additional R5 million has been allocated in 2025/26 and R10.8 million for the remainder of the MTEF for increases of transfer payments to NPOs providing Child and Youth Care services. This will assist them withtheir operational expenses in the face of inflationary pressure.
Thank you also to the incredible partners that have taken hands with us over the last few months to strengthen support for these vulnerable young people. At the start of the year, we partnered with Africa Skills to provide bursaries and learning opportunities for boys in our Outeniekwa CYCC. We have hope that this opportunity will help these young people reach their full potential, breaking the cycle of socio-economic circumstances that led to them being in the facility in the first place. This is another way we’ve stepped up, by collaborating with partners that are just as passionate as we are to support potential changemakers.
Thank you to Minister Mackenzie who assisted us recently in making the dreams come true of a few foster children from Delft who got to watch Bafana Bafana conquer South Sudan at the Cape Town Stadium. For most of them it was their first time being at the stadium, so it was an awesome memory they will cherish for years to come.
FOOD & DISASTER RELIEF
Honourable Speaker,
The saying goes you can’t teach a hungry child. It is also very difficult to be productive when you are hungry. The Department has a range of food relief initiatives, such as its Community Nutrition and Development Centres (CNDC) and Community Kitchens.
During 2024/2025, the Department funded 54 NPOs managing 102 CNDCs and 16 Community kitchens. The CNDCs provide food 5 days a week, reaching more than 10 000 beneficiaries per month. The community kitchens reach more than 8000 beneficiaries per month.
Thank you to Minister Meyer and his department for partnering with us to move CNDC beneficiaries from dependency to self-reliance, through community gardens.
DSD received an additional R1.8 million for 2025/2026 and R3.9 million rand over the MTEF period to sustain nutritional support programmes at CNDCs.
Thank you also to Minister Bredell for leading disaster risk management efforts. While we never hope for a disaster, I believe the province is the best prepared when one strikes. I am pleased that the Department received an additional R7.5 million in 2025/26 and R9 million for the remainder of the 2025 MTEF to subsidise humanitarian relief organisations to further their operational objectives and support existing post disaster humanitarian responses.
I also hope that through all our engagements with SASSA, a clear line has been drawn of the different responsibilities in disaster relief efforts. We have been clear that we will do whatever it takes when a disaster strikes to get the necessary relief out to victims as soon as possible, but we need the national sphere of government to come to the party as well.
We have worked hard to establish a positive working relationship with SASSA just as we have done with Postbank during the card migration process. And even though we have been disappointed by the chaotic process, we know there are hard-working individuals on the ground doing the best they can. We will endeavour to assist in any way we can for the benefit of vulnerable residents who depend on government – regardless of the sphere – to deliver effective services.
OLDER PERSONS
Honourable Speaker,
Luphumlo also asked that we make sure the needs of the elderly are met. I agree with him. As the saying goes, “A society that does not value its older people, denies its roots and endangers its future.”
Last year was a difficult one for the Older Persons programme as funding was reduced. The Department continued to focus on the safeguarding of the elderly from abuse and harm, but in my visits to the various Old Age Homes I continuously heard the plea that more help is needed.
This plea has been heard and answered.
Allocated funding for the Older Persons programme will increase from R231 million in the previous financial year to R254 million in 2025/2026. An additional R13 million will go towards the increase of subsidies to support frail older persons in 117 Old Age Homes. This boost is indicative of a Province that values and cares for its elderly residents. We look forward to working with partner departments like Health and Wellness to further enhance services to the elderly.
While we are pleased with the additional funding, we will continue to work on partnerships to boost resources for NGOs and NPOs that are working so incredibly hard to render social services to vulnerable groups and communities.
In this regard, we are once again stepping up, this time for the organisations that strengthen our hand as a Department. We recently entered a partnership with the Health Foundation to establish the Cape Care Fund, which will be launched later this year. The Cape Care Fund was created to raise funds to further support the work of vetted, registered, and well-functioning organisations in the Western Cape.
DISABILITIES
Honourable Speaker,
This week we observed World Autism Awareness Day. As a Department we support various organisations that provide support services to persons with disabilities, including those with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Last year K3 collaborated with us for Disability Rights Awareness Month, to take a group of persons with disabilities on the world’s longest zipline. This was done to highlight the need for more inclusive public spaces and empowerment for those with disabilities, and it did just that. K3 says since that day it received many bookings from persons with disabilities who heard about the adventure, which is incredible because it shows the impact of awareness raising!
The Department is a proud partner of the Disability Accessibility Movement with the Mossel Bay Municipality. This initiative aims to make Mossel Bay the first disability-friendly town, to promote inclusivity and enhanced support for persons with disabilities.
The Department’s Disabilities programme received a R28 million increase, from R196 million in 24/25 to R224 million in 25/26. This will enable us to increase support to homes that care for persons with disabilities. Additionally, R12.5 million has been allocated in 2025/26 and R27 million over the 2025 MTEF to increase subsidies to support 42 homes for persons with disabilities.
We also received an additional R9 million for the current financial year and R16.7 million for the remainder of the MTEF for Nutritional Services, Home-based Carers, Nursing Services, Waste Removal, and Kitchen equipment at Sivuyile Residential Facility for severely disabled children.
GBV & SUBSTANCE ABUSE
Honourable Speaker,
The Department’s Substance Abuse, Prevention and Rehabilitation programme received an R8 million increase, taking the funding from R102 million to R110 million. R940 000 will go towards the rectification of salaries of NPO social workers in this space. Services in this sector will be bolstered, both within the Department and partner organisations.
Another reason why the Department can step up no matter the odds, is because of the residents of this province. Not only do we have a pool of incredible safety parents who are always raising their hands to safeguard a child, but we have volunteers like the Gender-Based Violence Ambassadors who are doing their part to make a difference in their communities.
We have some of the GBV Ambassadors here tonight. They are trained volunteers who assist the Department in raising awareness about GBV support services, they do referrals to DSD and the SAPS and sometimes are a victim’s first point of contact after an incident.
Since the first programme was launched in Swartland in 2022, this DSD-led initiative has grown to 8 programmes in different areas across the province like Central Karoo, Cape Metro, and Grabouw. Later this month we will be launching another one in Porterville.
Thank you to Minister Marais and her department for not only supporting this programme, but for holding the police accountable so that they treat victims who come to the stations with dignity, respect, and sensitivity.
The Department is committed to supporting victims of GBV and raising awareness about this scourge that continues to permeate every aspect of society. Thank you to the different departments for working with us transversally to realise the Provincial GBV Implementation Strategy. In a time of uncertainty over global funding sources, it is now more important than ever that we pool resources to support vulnerable individuals who have been abused or violated.
DSD’s Victim Empowerment Programme received a significant boost from R70 million in the previous financial cycle to R78 million in the current one.
The Department received R1.5 million rand in 2025/2026 for the funding of the Thuthuzela Care Centre in Mitchells Plain. This was funded by a donor that has since pulled out, but we will now be stepping in to fund the psychosocial support services. Thank you to Minister Wenger and the Health and Wellness Department for being continued partners with these TCCs.
The Department received R2 million in 2025/2026 to fund a GBV shelter in Caledon. These shelters provide a vital lifeline for victims of GBV, helping them overcome their trauma so they may find independence through skills development and job training. Thank you to the community members, like the ones we heard of in Vredenburg, who support these individuals in small but significant ways like helping with their CVs and driving them to job interviews.
DSD also received R1 million this financial year and R2 million for the remaining MTEF to fund social auxiliary workers at NPOs that render victim empowerment services.
THANKS
Honourable Speaker,
The common thread in the Department being able to step up in such amazing ways is the partnerships. Collaborations with other departments, organisations, and the private sector are key to effectively addressing social ills and creating pathways for vulnerable children and youth to reach their full potential.
Thank you to the NGOs and NPOs that strengthen this Department’s hand to support as many vulnerable people as possible. It is not an easy task, but we value your passion for making a difference.
To the DSD staff, management, and the HOD Dr Robert Macdonald: thank you for your tireless commitment and dedication to serving the residents of the Western Cape. You all have shown me what real “stepping up” looks like, no matter how difficult things may get, you continue to push to get the job done.
To my Ministry staff, led by Bernhard Lotriet: Thank you for your unwavering support and for walking this journey with me to serve the province to the best of our ability.
Thank you.