Antoinette Lombard

THE IMPACT OF SOCIAL WELFARE POLICIES ON SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT IN SOUTH AFRICA: AN NGO PERSPECTIVE

The democratic government of South Africa has adopted a developmental framework and is aspiring towards being a developmental state (Department of Social Development, 2006a:2). However, the aspiration to become a developmental state is being seriously questioned in view of the increasing gap between the rich and the poor over the country’s thirteen years of democracy. Although it was expected that it would take a considerable time to eradicate the legacy of the past (RSA, 2006:5) it is a matter of great concern that the levels of poverty and inequality are on the increase in South Africa. Although South Africa’s neo-liberal macro-economic policy contributed to an economic growth rate of 4,9% in 2006 (RSA, 2007a:5), the policy is criticised for not sufficiently achieving economic development. The social welfare sector is one area in which the macro-economic policy impacts on government’s responsibility for, and accountability to, the vulnerable and the marginalised in society.

STATUTORY SOCIAL SERVICES: AN INTEGRAL PART OF DEVELOPMENTAL SOCIAL WELFARE SERVICE DELIVERY1

The adoption of a developmental approach to social welfare in South Africa in 1997 earmarked a commitment by the South African government and the social welfare sector to transform social welfare services within the context of the broader transformation agenda of South African society.

Promoting social and economic equality: Social workers’ contribution to social justice and social development in South Africa and Uganda

This article explores how social workers in South Africa (where social work is regulated by law), and Uganda (where social work is not professionally regulated), draw on the premises that social work is a human rights profession embedded in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, their respective countries’ constitutions, and developmental social work to claim their role in promoting social and economic equality. The case studies from both South Africa and Uganda show that developmental social work includes social, economic and environmental development activities and that social work can become a significant role player in promoting social and economic equality through its commitment to social justice and human rights.

Social change through integrated social and economic development in South Africa: a social welfare perspective

Thirteen years into democracy, South Africa is still facing deep-seated social and economic inequalities. The countrys macro-economic policy fosters economic growth, which is essential for socio-economic development, but at the same time it also highlights the challenges required for development, which will benefit the majority of the population in South Africa. In line with a neo-liberal capitalist macro-economic policy, in which the role of the state is scaled down, the Governments Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative calls on social partners to achieve social change through integrated social and economic development. Social work, as one of the partners in social change, is well positioned to take up its role as facilitator of social reform in the new democracy. The relationship between developmental social welfare services, social security and The Expanded Public Works Programme will be explored within the context of an integrated social–economic development plan for reducing actual poverty on the one hand, and empowerment for escaping poverty on the other.

STANDARDS FOR SOCIAL WORK QUALIFICATIONS IN SOUTH AFRICA

South Africa has instituted a new education and training dispensation, with the core drivers being the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA), National Standards bodies and Education and Training Quality Assurance bodies (Olivier, 1998:ix). The SAQA Act (1995) enables South Africa to develop its own integrated National Qualifications Framework (NQF) accompanied by a supporting quality-assurance system

The ethics of children’s participation: Fundamental to children’s rights realization in Africa

Children’s participation in decisions affecting them is a fundamental human right. This article proposes an ethical framework for meaningful, authentic children’s participation consistent with children’s rights, one developed within the context of international and continental human rights treaties, global commitments and declarations on children’s rights and legal provisions within South African legislation.

ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN AFRICA: SOCIAL WORK CHALLENGES FOR HUMAN, SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT1

In Africa a new understanding and thinking of entrepreneurship needs to be contextualised as part of the challenge to alleviate poverty. This challenge was confirmed when most of the heads of state committed themselves to addressing poverty as the top priority for their countries’ agendas when they signed the Declaration at the World Summit on Social Development (1995) and adopted Agenda 21, the agenda for sustainable development in the 21st century, during the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (Rio de Janeiro, 1992). Whilst there is consensus amongst world leaders that they want to reduce global poverty by half by 2015, the policies and strategies to achieve this were still being negotiated during the follow up to the World Summit for Sustainable Development in South Africa in August/September, 2002.

An Integrated Developmental Model for Poverty Reduction in South Africa: An NGO's Perspective

For most of its 17 years of democracy, South Africa fight against poverty has been fragmented and uncoordinated. South Africa adopted a developmental social welfare policy in the White Paper for Social Welfare (1997). The SAVF (South African Womens Federation), a welfare sector NGO, has designed an integrated development model for social work to address poverty holistically. The models 6 pillars are discussed, with reference to their application in the Thuthukani project. Conclusions will be based on a discussion of the value of the SAVF model in demonstrating its relevance as an antipoverty strategy within a developmental social welfare approach.

CHALLENGES FOR BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS IN SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

The primary goal of partnerships in social development is to strategically join efforts to reduce poverty, address inequalities and social injustices through the redistribution of resources, and through social and economic development programmes. This can only be achieved when there is a true commitment from all partners involved to take up the challenges of building partnerships which could provide a negotiated framework for a partnership strategy for social development. These challenges include understanding the changing role of the state, redefining partnerships, empowerment of NGOs to be service deliverers and advocates, the creation of an enabling environment, recognition and balancing of social development partners’ strengths and weaknesses, an agreement on the social development agenda and a plan for sustainable social development. Although a partnership strategy for social development needs to be in place to provide broad guidelines, each kind and level of partnership need to be uniquely negotiated, planned, designed and maintained

PERSONAL AND INTERPERSONAL EFFECTS OF A LIFE SKILLS PROGRAMME ON GRADE 7 LEARNERS

Life skills education covers the skills and competencies that an individual needs for sustaining and enriching life and also the kind of behaviour-based learning that the individual needs for coping with predictable developmental tasks (Adkins, 1984:53-54; Pickworth, 1989:105: Schmidt, Brown & Waycott, 1988:13). The central reason for including life skills education in the school curriculum is that an interventional, preventive and developmental approach to equipping schoolchildren (learners) with coping skills will help them to deal effectively with predictable developmental tasks and an ever-changing world (Department of Education, 1997a