Latest news with #GaniefHendricks
IOL News
23-07-2025
- Business
- IOL News
Parliament passes 2025 and 2026 Appropriation Bill with support from DA, IFP, ActionSA, other parties
The National Assembly has passed the 2025 and 2026 Appropriation Bill for departments. Image: Supplied The 2025 and 2026 Appropriation Bill for all departments has been passed, with support from the DA, PA, IFP, ActionSA, BOSA, Rise Mzansi, among others, while the MK Party, EFF, and ATM rejected the bill. The announcement was made during a sitting at the Cape Town International Convention Centre on Wednesday. The sitting included the tabling of the Standing Committee on Appropriations' report, a debate, departmental budget votes, and the second reading of the bill - the final step required to pass the national budget. Voting was conducted manually, with party whips announcing how their members voted. Individual MPs were allowed to indicate if they wished to vote differently from their party, though none did. A quorum of 201 MPs was required for the vote, as the National Assembly consists of 400 members. The Appropriation Bill needed a simple majority - at least 201 votes to pass. The African National Congress (ANC), which holds 159 seats, was joined by the DA with 87 seats, IFP 12, Patriotic Alliance with 9, Freedom Front Plus with 5, ActionSA with 5, African Christian Democratic Party with two, United Democratic Movement with two, Rise Mzansi with two, BOSA with two, Al Jama-ah with one, Pan Africanist Congress with one, and GOOD Party with one in supporting the bill. The final vote tally was 262 in favor, 90 against, and no abstentions. The bill was then approved. Among the votes against were MK Party with 51 votes), EFF with 36, ATM with one, National Coloured Congress with one and United Africans Transformation with one. A minor controversy arose during the voting process when Al Jama-ah leader Ganief Hendricks claimed both party members were present and had voted. It was later revealed he was alone. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading 'My apologies, honorable deputy Speaker, he may have been stuck in the toilet,' Hendricks said. EFF MP Marshall Dlamini called for Hendricks to be referred to the ethics committee for allegedly misleading the House. Deputy Speaker Annelie Lotriet responded that it was inappropriate to accuse a member of lying without due process, stating Dlamini's comment breached parliamentary rules. Earlier in the session, EFF MP Omphile Maotwe said the party would reject the bill, accusing DA federal chairperson Helen Zille of using the national budget as a political weapon within the Government of National Unity (GNU). 'For the supervisors in the government on neoliberal unity, led by the chief supervisor Ms. Helen Zille, the budget is the tool to fight political squabbles,' Maotwe said. The DA had previously threatened to block the bill unless President Cyril Ramaphosa took action against then-Higher Education Minister Dr. Nobuhle Nkabane, whom the party accused of misleading Parliament over appointments to Sector Education and Training Authority (SETA) boards. Ramaphosa dismissed Nkabane earlier this week, appointing former Deputy Minister Buti Manamela as her replacement, and named former KwaZulu-Natal Premier Dr. Nomusa Dube-Ncube as the new deputy minister. The DA said it supported the bill following these changes. Lotriet formally announced the results: 'The results are as follows: Yes 262, No 90, no abstentions.' She then ordered that the bill be read for the first time. IOL Politics
eNCA
10-07-2025
- Business
- eNCA
Unpacking the Social Development financial plan
JOHANNESBURG - About 45% of South Africans are receiving some form of financial support from social development. WATCH: In conversation with Al Jama-ah leader Ganief Hendricks As a result, the department will spend most of the 294-billion rand budget allocation on direct transfers. Social Development Deputy Minister Ganief Hendricks, discussed the department's budget vote with eNCA.
The Citizen
10-07-2025
- Business
- The Citizen
Sassa delivers grants and IDs to Harding
Sassa and Social Development hosted a successful outreach in Harding, providing social grant support, ID services and business funding. Residents of Harding and surrounding areas in KwaZulu-Natal received crucial government services this week during a community outreach led by the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) and the Department of Social Development. The Integrated Community Registration and Outreach Programme (ICROP) took place on Tuesday at Mlamulankunzi Sports Ground in Ward 8, with Deputy Minister for Social Development, Ganief Hendricks, heading the delegation. 'This is my first, and hopefully the first of many ICROPs to come that I will be doing with Sassa, not only here in KZN but throughout the country. 'This is what ICROPs are all about: bringing government services closer to those who need it most and where they live,' said Hendricks. Access to grants, IDs and support Hundreds of residents received help with social grant applications, Covid-19 SRD enquiries, and identification services from the Department of Home Affairs. Beneficiaries also had the opportunity to engage directly with local leaders and national officials. Sassa's acting regional executive manager in KZN, Simlindile Jabavu, stated that the province is home to approximately 2.9 million Child Support Grant recipients. ALSO READ: Sassa cracks down on beneficiaries flagged for not disclosing income KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Social Development Mbali Shinga described the outreach as a tool for real change. 'I'm confident that today's outreach will help us take meaningful strides in poverty alleviation and our fight against GBV,' said Shinga. Business support handed over The National Development Agency handed over a cheque of more than R99 000 to Nolubaphitha Primary Cooperative Limited, a local female-led business that provides low-cost bread to the community. 'These are the kinds of initiatives we want to support as part of our Sustainable Livelihoods Programme,' said Hendricks. Sassa also distributed school uniforms to underprivileged pupils as part of its Social Relief of Distress Programme. Community member Bathobile Disani welcomed the initiative. 'We have challenges with our Covid-19 SRD grants, and Sassa officials were able to assist and resolve the issues on-site,' she said. NOW READ: No social grants have been suspended, says Sassa
The Citizen
24-04-2025
- Business
- The Citizen
SA's expanding safety net: Millions more to receive social grants by 2030
'One of the commitments in the National Development Plan Vision 2030 is to eradicate food poverty by 2030,' stated Hendricks. Al Jama-ah's Ganief Hendricks at the 2024 state of the nation address (Sona) at Cape Town City Hall on 8 February 2024. Picture: Gallo Images/Ziyaad Douglas South Africa is set to significantly expand its social welfare system over the coming years, with ambitious targets to increase coverage across multiple vulnerable groups. The Department of Social Development has announced plans to extend older persons' grants to 5.4 million beneficiaries by the end of the five-year term in 2030, up from a mid-term target of 5 million by 2027-2028. Similarly, child support grants are projected to reach 14.1 million children by 2030, while disability grants aim to support more than 1.1 million people by the same year. Department unveils strategic plan amid budget constraints The department recently unveiled its strategic plan for 2025-2030 and annual performance plan for 2025-2026, with a focus on poverty reduction, empowering resilient communities, and creating an integrated social development sector. These plans align with national development priorities while acknowledging that the department must 'do more with less' due to budget constraints. 'The strategic priorities of the Medium-Term Development Plan (MTDP) are to reduce levels of poverty and vulnerability to social ills, empower resilient individuals, families and sustainable communities, and create a functional, efficient and integrated sector,' explained a department representative during the presentation. The MTDP, which serves as an implementation framework for the National Development Plan (NDP), focuses on three key strategic priorities: inclusive growth and job creation, reducing poverty and tackling the high cost of living, and creating a capable, ethical, and developmental state. ALSO READ: New ID verification process for Sassa grants: Here's who's affected Understanding the planning framework The department operates within multiple planning timeframes that work together. The strategic plan covers a five-year period, while the annual performance plan addresses the immediate fiscal year ending in March 2026. The Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) is a three-year rolling budget planning tool used by the National Treasury to allocate resources based on priorities and fiscal constraints. The NDP Vision 2030 serves as South Africa's long-term socio-economic development roadmap for the period up to 2030. Meanwhile, the MTDP serves as an implementation framework for the NDP, typically spanning 3–5 years and encompassing specific targets and commitments. This multi-layered approach allows the department to balance immediate fiscal realities with longer-term development goals while maintaining alignment with national priorities. Historic legislation on the horizon Deputy Minister of Social Development, Ganief Hendricks, told the portfolio committee that a policy on social development would be presented to Cabinet by October. Hendricks emphasised the historic significance of such legislation, noting that '30 years in our democracy, South Africa will have an Act of Parliament for social development'. The push for legislative reform extends beyond the department itself, with calls from various sectors for specialised legislation. 'There have also been calls from the disability sector for their own Act of Parliament to give them the power that they need,' the deputy minister explained. The Central Drug Authority has also requested legislation to address substance abuse, which Hendricks characterised as 'becoming a threat to state security'. ALSO READ: Sassa confirms Old Age Grant will not be cancelled Ambitious vision for poverty eradication by 2030 The department has identified reducing poverty and tackling the high cost of living as key priorities, directly aligned with the broader strategic focus areas of the Government of National Unity (GNU) formed after the May 2024 elections. 'One of the commitments in the National Development Plan Vision 2030 is to eradicate food poverty by 2030,' stated Hendricks. He outlined a vision where, by 2030, 'those who don't earn or work will get a guaranteed R760, but I believe R1,000 in their pocket every month.' This commitment, according to Hendricks, would 'send waves throughout the world that South Africa does care about the most vulnerable people.' With 28 million social grant beneficiaries, the department faces significant challenges in improving support. 'We have to do something to increase their food basket,' Hendricks explained, though he acknowledged that immediate increases would be more modest than hoped: 'Unfortunately, it looks like instead of a R150 increase, they're only going to get R120.' ALSO READ: Defence alleges witness interference in Sassa fraud case Nine portfolio commitments to address social challenges The department has identified nine portfolio commitments aligned with the MTDP, reflecting a more focused approach as the 2030 deadline approaches. 'I think the message is that as we move towards Vision 2030, we need to begin to cut the cloth according to size. We need to begin to reprioritise and not attempt to do everything,' a department representative stated. Key commitments include increasing access to nutritious food for vulnerable individuals, with mid-term targets of reaching 1.5 million people through food security programs by 2027-2028, and optimising social protection within available fiscal resources. Addressing substance abuse and Gender-Based Violence The department continues to implement the National Drug Master Plan with targets to help over 135,000 service users access substance abuse disorder treatment by mid-term (2027-2028), and nearly 273,000 by term end (2030). For gender-based violence, the department aims to provide psychosocial services to 224,549 victims by mid-term and 449,048 by the end of the term in 2030. 'We also have the intervention as part of the MTDP commitment to link social assistance with other forms of support to lift people out of poverty, so that our people don't only depend on social grants alone,' the department added. ALSO READ: A R1 billion U-turn: Scrapping the VAT increase leaves no winners, just absolute chaos Moving beyond social grant dependency Both Hendricks and the newly appointed Director-General, Fhumulani Peter Netshipale, emphasised the need to transition beneficiaries from dependence on social grants to sustainable livelihoods. 'The National Development Agency is expected to create sustainable livelihoods so that people rapidly move from social grants into sustainable livelihoods,' Hendricks explained. He added that the department was receiving pressure from Treasury, questioning it about its plans and actions for poverty alleviation. The department's poverty alleviation strategy targets 1.4 million households accessing sustainable livelihood initiatives by mid-term (2027-2028), expanding to 2.9 million by the end of the term in 2030. Enhanced monitoring and provincial oversight A key focus for the department going forward will be strengthened monitoring of service delivery at the provincial level. 'Most of the time we used to come here, and you say what is happening in North West, but we are now called to make sure that we monitor services through all nine provinces,' Netshipale explained. 'The department needs to step up its own approach to strengthen the monitoring of services and report here in terms of what is happening in terms of the baselines that we have set.' This represents a shift toward greater accountability. 'We will be accountable to this committee time and again in terms of what we have delivered,' added Netshipale. Despite the significant role social grants play in alleviating poverty—currently supporting 45% of the nation—Committee Chairperson Bridget Masango expressed concern about what she termed 'dignity poverty,' particularly for young people living on the Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant, a temporary assistance program for those in immediate need. 'If you have young people as young as 35 years old and younger or older living on the SRD, that is not dignified at all,' Masango stated. ALSO READ: Who really won the VAT fight? GNU shakes as parties cry 'deception' Budget allocations and constraints The department's budget presentation revealed that while there were no major budget cuts for the MTEF period as in previous years, there were also no significant increases, requiring careful resource management. 'There were no nasty surprises, luckily for the MTEF period, as we had in the previous years, where there were budget cuts, but we were also not favourable in terms of the operations of the budget,' the Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Fanie Esterhuizen, explained. The base year 2025/26 budget allocation of R294 billion includes funding for the Social Relief of Distress grant, which is only allocated for one financial year, explaining the drop in the 2026/27 fiscal year allocation. A significant budget challenge is that the department had to fund the 5.5% cost-of-living increase for public servants from its existing operational budget, reducing goods and services allocations. 'In the past, three years ago, National Treasury would grant us this amount. But any increases now have to come from our baseline, and the only place we could take it from was from goods and services,' Esterhuizen stated. NOW READ: VAT to remain at 15%, hike reversed, Treasury announces
