With alcohol and substance abuse being among the major social challenges the Department of Social Development has to deal with in the province MEC Mapula Mokaba-Phukwana, when tabling a R1,9 billion budget vote in the Legislative chamber last recently, divulged that the Seshego Treatment Centre was expected to open its doors for the public in the current financial year.
She said after completion by the Infrastructure Development Agency the centre was handed over to the department, recruitment and selection processes are almost done and outstanding equipment procured. The centre is currently being registered and approval for occupation was awaited from Polokwane Municipality. She added that they were confident that the centre would come into operation soon.
A budget of R19 million is set aside to reach out to 206 000
children under the age of 18 and 136 500 people over the age of 18, she explained, adding that the department will further provide 700 people with access to outpatient treatment in partnership with Sanca. Additional 105 people will access inpatient treatment services from Seshego Treatment Centre.
Victim empowerment programme
Mokaba-Phukwana said R29 million has been allocated for victim empowerment programmes in 2018/19 financial year and
16 320 victims could be protected while a budget allocation of
R42 million will be used for social crime prevention and victim empowerment programme.
Child care and protection
The Department has budgeted R127 million for Child Care and Protection programmes and it is targeting to place 2 490 children in alternative care. The budget for Child and Youth Care centres amounts to R33 million.
HIV/Aids programme
In the 2018/19 financial year, R187,6 million has been set aside to take care and support families and individuals affected and infected by HIV/Aids while an estimated budget of R1,1 million will be used to support families in distress.
Infrastructure development and support services
The Department has set aside R37,7 million for the financial year in favour of infrastructure development while R8 million as incentives grant for non-profit organisations was budgeted to create 3 100 job opportunities. She indicated that the department has partnered with National Development Agency to provide training on governance, book keeping and conflict management and a budget amounting to R4,2 million to train 300 and capacitate 3 800 NPOs.
Youth and women development
The amount budgeted for youth development purposes amounts to R10 million while R4,3 million was set aside to capacitate 21 000 women on socio-economic activities such as cooperative development, small, medium and micro-sized enterprises development, local economic development and community development initiatives, she explained.
Household food and nutrition security programme
Mokaba-Phukwana indicated that an amount of R20,2 million has been allocated to Household Food and Nutrition Security Programme to reach out to 190 000 people and 4 600 households while poverty alleviation and sustainable livelihoods programme was budgeted R12,9 million to support additional 20 poverty alleviation community projects and cooperatives.
People with disabilities and older persons
The Department has allocated R84,9 million to provide services to people with disabilities while the budget allocated to programmes destined to provide services to older persons in 2018/19 amounts to R38 million, she concluded.
Story: ENDY SENYATSI
>>endy@observer.co.za
