Honourable Premier, Bushy Kaobitsa Maape,
Honourable Members of the Executive Council,
Heads of Departments,
Members of the Media,
Ladies and gentlemen,

All Members of the Executive Council responsible for the Social Cluster Departments have delivered their respective departments’ budget vote and policy speeches. I thank the Provincial Legislature for the smooth proceedings that led to the adoption of all the budget allocations per programme and for each department.

The National Treasury has directed that the 2022 Budget needs to respond to South Africa's immediate needs and builds for the future and I believe that is what we have done as the Social Cluster.
Social Cluster budget distribution per department is as follows:

Department of Arts, Culture, Sport and Recreation is allocated R 774 487.00 million which is 2,0% of the total social cluster budget.

Department of Social Development is allocated R1 654, 392 billion which is 4,4% of the total social cluster budget allocation.

Department of Health ss allocated R15 186 040 billion which constitutes 40,0% of the total social cluster budget

Department of Education is allocated R20 346 143 billion which is 53,6% of the entire social cluster budget allocation.

The Social Cluster received a budget of R 37 961 062 billion in total. This budget is shared between the Department of Education which has been allocated the largest share of cluster budget of R 20 346 143 billion (53,6%), followed by R 15 186 040 billion (40,0%) for Health, R 1 654 392 billion (4,4%) for Department of Social Development and R 774 487 million (2,0%) Arts, Culture, Sports & Recreation.

Department of Arts, Culture, Sports and Recreation
For the 2022/23 financial year, the Department has been allocated a budget of R774 487 million, to carry out its mandate. The breakdown is as follows: Administration (R122 340), Cultural Affairs (R243 954), Library and Archives Services (R203 606) and Sports and Recreation (R174 587).

Programme 1 - Administration (R122 340 million)
Twenty four library assistants have been awarded bursaries to help them obtain qualifications in Information Science. Twelve interns have been appointed for a period of two years through
the ETDP (SETA) and have already been placed at District Offices within the Arts, Culture and Sport programs.

The Department is planning to employ about 98 EPWP’s and 55 interns to assist in rolling out the departmental programs in library, arts and culture sectors.
We will in 2022/2023 put R5m aside to fund various programmes and projects through a call for proposals. On top of that, the Department will in the 2022/2023 financial year put aside R1m for cultural cadets’ training.

Programme 2 - Cultural Affairs (R243 954 million)
As pronounced by the Premier Bushi Maape during SOPA the Department will begin the process of constructing the Arch Bishop Desmond Mpilo Tutu Museum in Dr Kenneth Kaunda District and R5 million has been put aside.

The Department will revive Mahika Mahikeng flagship programme to showcase our provincial talent and contribute towards cultural tourism. In the same vein, we will continue to implement the Taung Cultural Calabash, as a vehicle for talent identification and development and R 4million is allocated for towards the Calabash.

The Mmabana Talent Search has been funded to the tune of R 3 000 000 for the 2022/23 financial year. This marks the introduction of yet another developmental programme that focuses on identification, development, nurturing, and support for raw talent in the areas of Music, Film, and Sports (Karate and Tumbling). Further, the department is strengthening efforts to implement Setswana music and dance competitions to help ensure the preservation of Setswana culture.

Towards the end of the 2021/22 financial year, the Department secured three hectares for the development of a proper facility in the Dr. Kenneth Kaunda District for the construction of a Mmabana. In this financial year, we will be working on implementing this major development, especially because Dr Kaunda District is the only one that does not have a Mmabana facility.

Programme 3 – Libraries and archives (R203 606 million)
The Department, in partnership with the South African Library for the Blind (SALB), will continue to implement the project of narration of published Setswana language books into audio.
Lethabong Community Library was completed in February 2022 and will be handed over to the community this financial year. The construction of the two new community libraries in Dinokana (Ramotshere Moiloa Local Municipality) and Wolmaranstad Ext 15 (Maquassi Hills Local Municipality) has started and the project is scheduled to be completed in 2002/2003 financial year.
The construction of Tlapeng and Migdol Modular Library Structures has been awarded for construction. The completion of the Southey community library building project is scheduled to be completed in the 2002/23 financial year.

Programme 4 - Sports and Recreation (R174 587 million)
During this financial year, an estimated 20 000 community members will be participating in organized sports, and 60 clubs identified from rural and farm areas will be participating in rural sports development. About 120 clubs will be provided with equipment and/or attire; 200 officials will be trained under club development and 24 leagues will be supported through club development.
As part of improving sports tourism, the following activities will be implemented this financial year:

Rural interprovincial games with Free State, Limpopo, and Northern Cape

Netball World Cup initiatives, thus include Netball Fridays and National Netball Championship to be hosted later in August.

An ultra-marathon between Potchefstroom and Klerksdorp in July

As part of social cohesion and nation-building, as well as the Africa One social compact, launch cross-border games with our SADC counterparts (Botswana, Zimbabwe and Namibia).

Six hundred athletes will be supported by sports academies

Four hundred people will be trained by the sport academy

Forty- five thousand, Five hundred people will participate in active recreation events

Two hundred Youth will participate in the annual Youth Camp

Manthe Sports Complex facility will be completed

To help ensure active participation and development, the Department will collaborate with the Department of Education to conduct training for learners and educators as well as talent identification in a sustainable school sports programme. Through this collaboration, 11 000 learners have been identified to participate in school sports tournaments in all four districts.

Department of Health
The Department of Health will implement the following main eight programmes which share the R 15, 186 billion budget:

Administration (956 338)

District Health Services (7 714 567)

Emergency Medical Services (481 349)

Provincial Hospital Services (2 059 030)

Central Hospital Services (2 249 206)

Health Science and Training (288 989)

Health Care Support Services (782 070)

Health Facilities Maintenance (654 491)

Over and above these eight main programmes, there are key sub-programmes that will receive attention and these are:

Medicine and Medical Supplies (R1.8 billion)

Laboratory Services (R330 million)

Covid 19 (R522 million)

Health Infrastructure

The programme of implementation will be executed through the identified Five Mega Health Delivery Interventions which are:

Leasing of Emergency Medical Services, Planned Patient Transport and Laundry Services Vehicles

Improvement of Medicine Availability

Strengthening of Mental Health Services

Integration of Covid 19 Vaccination

Strengthening of the District Development Model

The Department will also prioritise increase of the number of facilities implementing the Phuthuma Project, ensure Care for Military Veterans and deal with Medico-Legal Claims.
The Emergency Medical Services programme as one of the five Mega Health Delivery Interventions is being strengthened with 46 EMS officials in management and production positions appointed. Nine (9) Forensic Pathology Services vehicles were procured while additional 100 EMS vehicles were fitted with vehicle tracking devices for better fleet management. Furthermore, 50 new ambulances have been procured with additional 50 red fleet to be procured in 2022/23.

Improvement of Medicine Availability
A plan to address shortage of medicine availability is in place and 80.5% of standard national average medicine availability target was achieved as fat the end March 2022. We are standing at above 90% availability of the different categories of medicines such as ARVs and Vaccines for Children immunization while TB medication is above 80% availability. About 600 patients enrolled on CCMD programme at Potchefstroom hospital.

Strengthening Mental Health
Mental health is elevated to a Directorate and continues to be strengthened. About 1 552 people were provided with counselling in 2021/22. Availability of mental health beds stands at 982 mental beds at Witrand Hospital while Bophelong Psychiatric Hospital has 384 beds.

Strategic Health Programmes
We successfully launched the TB Caucus in partnership with Provincial Legislature and the Provincial Council on AIDS (PCA). As part of the resolutions of the PCA Council, it is urgent that the current PCA interim staff is be made permanent to ensure full functionality of this structure, taking into account staff members who have been seconded to the PCA.

The Department of Health working together with partners and the Provincial Council on AIDS is committed to implementation of the 90-90-90 strategy. To date, 90% people in our Province know their HIV status, 75% of those who are positive have been put on treatment while 87% of patients are virally suppressed.

Strenghtening of primary health care services was done with 55 health facilities receiving the ideal clinic status, 18 received platinum, 23 gold and silver 140. I am happy to announce a public private partnership that will see 9400 community members of Itsoseng in Madibeng benefit from a new 24 hour clinic.

Hospital Services
A project towards improving infrastructure of both tertiary and regional hospitals has resulted in installation of oxygen reticulation system, bulk oxygen tanks and the calorifiers. A new ward of 31 beds has been created and operationalized resulting in almost non-existent of flow beds at Job Shimankana Tabane Hospital. A total of 137 spectacles were issued at Mahikeng Provincial Hospital between January and March 2022.

Furthermore, Harmony Gold formally sent a letter of intension to donate Westvaal Hospital which is 250 bed facility based in Matlosana.

Human Resources Management, Training and Labour Relations
In order to improve on availability of human resources, 1121 posts were filled on permanent basis in the 2021/22 financial year. Thirty (30) bursaries were awarded to the serving officers and unemployed youth. A total of 50 unemployed youth were recruited on learnership programme while another 50 will be registered in 2022/2023. In the nursing programme, 157 students have commenced with Community Service in January 2022. Furthermore, 90 students have been enrolled in the new nursing programmes aligned to higher education. We also intend to procure a Student Information Management System.

The plan to strengthen labour relations has continued with 50 middle managers and union officials trained on various labour relations prescripts.

COVID-19 and Vaccination Programme
The management of COVID-19 and vaccination continued to be a focal point as the Province fought hard to contain further spread of the virus with 200 health facilities having already integrated vaccination services. The North West Province now has a total of 94 active vaccination sites as at the end of the 2021/22 financial year with more than 2 265 000 people vaccinated as at 9 June 2022.

Department of Social Development
The total budget of the Department of Social Development for this 2022/23 financial year is R1 654, 392 billion.

Migration of ECD to Education
The Department will continue to provide the necessary support the Department of Education following President Cyril Ramaphosa’s pronouncement in his 2019 State of the Nation Address (SONA) that early childhood development be moved to the department of education to improve the development of children and the quality of early education as enshrined in the National Development Plan Vision 2030.
On the 1 April 2022, all registered and unregistered ECD centres including eighty one post from the department of social development were transferred to the department of education. The Department of Social Development remained with other functions such as child protection, psycho-social services, access to social services and parental support programmes. Other remaining services are partial care facilities that relate to aftercare services, private hostels and respite care centres for children with disabilities.

Job creation
The budget of R19, 339 200 is being set aside for the creation of work opportunities which are in compliant with the EPWP ministerial determination.

Women empowerment
The department has provided a basket of interventions in the form of equipment and stock to women owned entities and small businesses as part of the support to sustain their livelihoods.

Youth development
The department has budgeted an amount of R8m to implement a National Youth Service (NYS) programme, targeting 1000 unemployed young people who have been profiled from the deprived wards and assessed to be change agents within their respective households.

Tackling gender based violence
The Department of Social Development will strengthen District Gender Based Violence Coordinating structures. Departmental plans are at an advanced stage to develop a comprehensive LGBTIQ+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex, Queer Plus) programme with the aim of preventing victimisation of LGBTIQI community and promoting tolerance and social cohesion.

The department has budgeted R15 million to strengthen and fund 23 Non Profit Organisations to enable them to continue to provide care and support to victims of GBV and crime. We have launched Orange Day initiative to eliminate all forms of violence by wearing an orange colour on the 25th of every month.

Capacity building of NPOs
The department will provide capacity building to 2 530 Non Profit Organisations (NPOs) in areas of good governance, compliance monitoring support, resource mobilisation and financial management. Most NPOs do not comply with the NPO Act and their non-compliance is a serious concern to the legitimacy and vibrancy of the NPO sector to partner with government and the private sector. The department will undertake ‘Your NPO Status’ campaigns to all districts to enhance their compliance to NPOs Act.

Social relief of distress programme
The Department of Social Development continues to provide social relief of distress in the form of food parcels, sanitary towels and school uniform to households that experience hunger and undue hardships. Its target for this year, is to provide food parcels to 16 000 households across the province. 5 500 vulnerable women including teenage girls will receive dignity pack on a monthly basis.

Solidifying services for older persons
The department has thrown its weight behind the Premier’s flagship project on the establishment of a new old age home in Matlosana Local Municipality. The project, which is at the planning stage is in honour of ArchBishop Desmond Emerald Tutu. The department will continue to collaborate with the Office of the Premier, Dr Kenneth Kaunda District Municipality and other stakeholders to ensure that this directive is realised.

Over 1 982 older persons have enjoyed the residential care services across the province. This impressive figure is despite some hurdles experienced in Greater Taung old age home, which delayed the official opening following some structural defects and heavy storms that damaged its roof twice in November 2021.

The repairs have been done on the state-run facility, whichis at 95% practical completion. The facility has finalised the recruitment process of the key nursing staff and the department is now working towards operationalising this facility in the current financial year. As it is with all funded residential care facilities, the department will ensure that they comply with the norms and standards as stipulated in the Older Person’s Act 13 of 2006.

Substance abuse prevention and rehabilitation services
In 2021/22 financial year service users accessed treatment services at JB Marks Treatment centre. The Department has also reached 65 942 people through substance abuse prevention programmes across the province.

The department will intensify its collaboration with all other stakeholders and funded NPOs in the implementation of the Drug Master Plan that responds to the scourge of substance abuse through programmes on prevention, support, treatment and aftercare. An amount of R4,2m has been set aside to fund eight organisations to provide aftercare and prevention services in the communities. The department also registered six community and private organisations that also deal with the treatment and rehabilitation of substance abuse.

In the current financial year, the department will facilitate the establishment and resuscitation of Local Drug Action Committees in collaboration with local municipalities. Furthermore, the department will intensify substance abuse prevention programmes at TVET colleges in order to curb the risk and increase in substance abuse disorder among the students.

The NDA and SASSA plans for 2022/23 financial year
The National Development Agency (NDA) North West has been allocated R2m to implement its primary mandate of contributing towards the eradication of poverty and its causes by granting funds to civil society organisations and this will see the creation of three hundred (300) work opportunities in the current financial year.

SASSA will contribute to poverty reduction by continuing to provide social assistance to older persons, people with disabilities, children and people facing undue hardships. With regard to access to Covid-19 SRD grant an additional qualifying and assessment criteria has been added in the new applications and those in need of assistance will have to reapply for this grant even if they were previously in receipt of the grant.

The entire application system remains a purely digital process, thereby enabling quick access and turnaround times. Applicants should browse through SASSA website to apply for the grant.

Department of Education
The Department of Education will use the allocated R20 346 143 billion budget to implement the following programmes:

Building a Strong Foundation for Education
The department intends to spend the allocation (14 965 928 000) to propel the realisation of the following six sector priorities: Foundational skills of numeracy and literacy, especially the ability for every 10year-old to read for meaning by 2030. There is a plan for immediate implementation of a curriculum with skills and competencies for a changing world, with emphasis being on the Three-Stream Model, entrepreneurship education, focus schools, coding and robotics, and the implications of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

There has been a decisive action on quality and efficiency through the implementation of standardised assessments to reduce failure, repetition, and drop-out rates, and the introduction of the General Education Certificate. We intend to implement two years of Early Childhood Development (ECD) before Grade 1, and the migration of education services for 0 to 4 year olds from Social Development to Basic Education.

The ECD will spend its allocated budget of R974 713 million to subsidise 100 community-based ECD centres in the province, based on the pre-determined criteria, train 800 ECD practitioners on the National Curriculum Framework (birth to 4year olds), enrol 200 practitioners the ETDP-SETA accredited training on the National Qualification Framework Level 5, and provide 200 teachers who are in public schools will receive in-house training on the Screening, Identification, Assessment and Support (SIAS) policy, and provide educational toys, fantasy furniture and jungle gums to 310 public ordinary primary schools offering Grade R to ensure stimulation of our young learners. The Department will endeavour to improve on the preparedness of young children from Early Childhood Development (ECD) – the 0-4 year-olds for entry into Grade R, which will necessitate the expansion of Grade R.

Improvement of Education Infrastructure
The Department has been allocated a total budget of R 1 242 217 million to provide and improve the quality of school physical infrastructure in the province for the current financial year. There will be expanding, upgrading, repairing, and maintaining school infrastructure. This will include giving attention to storm-damaged schools and eradication of asbestos structures in about 114 schools in the province.

The Department will conduct infrastructure condition assessment in all schools and ECD centres over the next two years. The condition assessment will direct the maintenance programme to address seven-year targets through the additions, maintenance, and repairs initiatives.

There will be implementation of the maintenance and construction of ECD centres for the first time from 2022/23 forth. For the current financial year, R3.3 million will be used for maintenance of 11 existing ECD centres.

The Education Infrastructure Grant Framework to earmark sixty percent (60%) of the Education Infrastructure Grant (EIG) towards the maintenance of existing infrastructure. The Department of Education, collaborating with the Impala Mine, will implement Kutlwanong School for The Deaf on a Rand for Rand basis. Huhudi Ext 25 Primary, Thulare Secondary, and Trotsville Primary schools are currently under construction.

The Department will also engage the community to build school infrastructure under the supervision of management contractors. An infrastructure development plan focussing on delivery and regular maintenance, with a proper sense of costs and financing. Furthermore, the Department will work with Sport and Recreation, Arts and Culture, Health, and the South African Police Services to teach and promote social cohesion, health and school safety.

Learner Support Programme
The Department is committed to improving the physical and aesthetic conditions of our schools. Provision of decent sanitary towels to pubescent girl learners in Quintiles 1 to 3 primary and secondary schools and their peers in Special Schools will be done through the Sanitary Dignity Programme.

Material Resources for Education
Processes for procurement of textbooks and stationery will start early in the current financial year to ensure that schools receive their learner materials before the commencement of the next academic year. The MST grant is allocated R 2 200 000.00 for the four identified Agric-focus schools; R 6 250 000.00 to provide necessary resources to 10 schools offering Computer Application and Information Technology; and R 6 250 050 for the ten (10) FET schools piloting Technical Occupational Subjects in Grade 9 (R 2 200 000.00, R 6 250 000.00, R 6 250 050).

The National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP) will feed 746 567 learners in 1328 schools with the R565 603 000 million budget. At the same time, the implementation
of phase III of the Presidential Youth Employment Initiative (PYEI) started on 01 April 2022 and will end on the 31 August 2022. It is a five-month project, which is allocated R409 454 000 for the employment of 19 196 youth in the province.

The budget allocated to subsidise 31 Independent Schools in 2022/23 financial year is R 38 665 000 million. About R66 million has been allocated for operational activities of examinations and assessment such as printing of question papers, payment of security services at marking centres, training of all marking personnel who ensure that examination processes are credible.

The Department continues to grapple with the pressures of the Compensation of Employees (CoE) Budget, which consumes the highest proportion (75.6%) of the equitable share budget.

Special Needs Schools
The budget of R862 983 000 million will be utilised for the provisioning of Assistive Devices, learner transport subsidy, as well as the provisioning of additional vehicles to Special Schools. The Department will continue to improve the implementation of Technical Occupational subjects in the identified four Special Schools, namely, Keurhof, Oom Paul, Hoërskool De Wilge and Coligny.

In the 2022/23 financial year, a conditional grant for Learners with Severe to Profound Intellectual Disabilities (LSPID) Conditional Grant is allocated the amount of R18, 317 000.00 million. The Department will further utilise the social sector EPWP Incentive Grant of R4 642 million to pay stipends of 177 Classroom Assistants placed in 177 public primary schools offering Grade R and 4 Data Capturers at Head Office.

Conclusion
The Social Cluster is confident that the allocated R 37 961 062 billion budget will be used responsibly to improve service delivery in the Province in line with the marching orders as directed by the Premier. The Social Cluster will continue to meet to monitor progress and discuss ways and means of implementation. We are also looking forward to a working relationship with all the oversight structure of the

Province including the Legislature, the Portfolio Committees, the Auditor-General, the Public Service Commission, the Provincial Treasury and the Monitoring and Evaluation Team in the Office of the Premier who I believe are equally eager to make this budget beneficial to our people.

I thank you.