STATE OF THE NATION ADDRESS 2006
The poor must also benefit: Mbeki
6 February 2006
Even as South Africa implements its strategy to boost the economic growth rate and create employment, "we cannot forget that the social wage plays a vital role in our continuing efforts to address the challenge of poverty," says President Thabo Mbeki.
Delivering his State of the Nation address at the opening of Parliament in Cape Town on Friday, Mbeki said that real social expenditure per person in South Africa had increased by 60% between 1983 and 2003, with 10-million South Africans - including 7-million children - now receiving social grants.
"Detailed evidence from a study conducted by Haroon Bhorat, Prakash Naidoo and Carlene van der Westhuizen indicates that there has been a consistent shift in expenditure in favour of poorer households," Mbeki told Parliament.
He said the government would continue implementing its anti-fraud strategy to improve its delivery of grants, noting that many of those guilty of stealing social grants had
already been brought to book.
This work would improve even further, he said, with this year's launch of the National Social Security Agency.
In the area of health care, Mbeki said that over 1 300 clinics in the country had benefited from the state's upgrading programme, that the programme to revitalise SA's hospitals was "proceeding apace", and that the extension of community service to a range of health professionals had ensured "that at any one time over 2 000 such professionals are available in public health institutions."
Future plans included further expansion of the country's health infrastructure, the refurbishment of existing clinics and hospitals, and the re-opening of nursing colleges to increase the numbers of health professionals in SA.
"To improve service delivery in our hospitals, by September this year we will ensure that hospital managers are delegated authority and held accountable for the functioning of hospitals," Mbeki said.
Policy
issues regarding training, job grading and accountability would be managed by provincial health departments "which themselves will need restructuring properly to play their role."
Mbeki said the government's comprehensive plan for HIV/Aids prevention, treatment and care had resulted in the upgrading of hundreds of facilities.
"To date, over 100 000 patients are receiving antiretroviral treatment and, combined with patients in the private sector, South Africa has one of the largest such treatment programme in the world," Mbeki said.
SouthAfrica.info reporter
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