"To our people who were severely and negatively affected and did not receive the services they so wished for, we wish to tender our apology to you, and commit that what happened shall not repeat itself. We seek to rebuild our social compact with you to Grow Gauteng Together,"
These were uttered by MEC Thuliswa Nkabinde-Khawe during her tabling of the department's 2019 Budget Vote at the Gauteng Provincial Legislature in Johannesburg last Friday. The MEC committed to work with communities across the province to fight against poverty in the province and to improve the lives of those that benefit from social development services.
She said the challenge that is confronting human development in the province is that 20% of the households are poor and many of them go to bed hungry.
"We will fortify our interventions across all programmes – including those that deals with children, older persons, persons with disability, women and youth, victims of gender based violence, and those affected and infected by HIV & AIDS"
Nkabinde-Khawe said the department will fix what needs to be fixed, and seek to urgently resolve all the challenges the department has endured in the last two years, which led to the disruption of critical programmes and services to the people.
The programmes include food security and nutrition, Bana Pele Programme particularly the disruption of the School Uniform and Dignity Packs Programme, support to cooperatives, and provision of broad support to the vulnerable sectors of the society.
The department has tabled a budget of R5.5 billion for the current financial year, which is an increase of almost a billion rand from the last year's budget. An additional budget has been received for absorption of Social Work graduates and filling of critical posts.
The MEC has called upon society and civil society organisations to work together to ensure that no child, no person goes to bed without food.​