The Portfolio Committee on Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities says it appears the department “does not seem to understand its mandate when examining what the department intends doing for the current financial year, and how that is outlined in its 2019/20 annual performance plan.”
It also expressed concerns about the funding of the department and how it is currently structured.
The committee noted that the largest chunk of the department’s budget is allocated for employee salaries, while the core programmes received less as compared to the administration functions, both in terms of financial and human resources.
“Compensation of employees stands at 57%, and that it appeared as if the department’s organogram is bloated.”
Chairperson – Nonhlanhla Ncube-Ndaba
“The budget is high and it does not make sense, I am asking myself that as you are not a service delivery department, I am worried about the merger and transfers that will come through from other departments,” Ncube-Ndaba added.
The committee expressed further unease over the annual performance plan which, it said, do not address the issues of youth and persons with disabilities given the expanded mandate of the department.
With respect to the national gender machinery, the committee said it cannot understand the issues the department is working on, as there is no evidence of visible community outreach initiatives.
“What is the national gender machinery operating on if we don’t have a framework that guides it?”
CHAIRPERSON – NONHLANHLA NCUBE-NDABA
Rental payments and spending on goods and services are exorbitant, the committee noted.
The Parliamentary committee also wants to know what the current plans are in addressing the office space arrangements considering the amalgamation of the youth and persons with disabilities portfolios into the women’s department.
Ncube-Ndaba commended the Commission for Gender Equality (CGE), saying it has achieved a lot on a tight budget.
However, the committee noted with concern that the CGE’s provincial offices are located in urban areas or in metros and questioned how the commission services rural areas.
