​Rofhiwa Marubini
The Gauteng Department of Social Development will use the remaining two years of the current term of government to improve the quality of life through the provision of accessible, integrated, comprehensive, sustainable, and developmental social services. 
Tabling the budget vote at the Gauteng Legislature, MEC Morakane Mosupyoe said maximum utilisation of the R5.5 billion budget will be key in achieving this goal.  
The department will ramp up its War on Poverty interventions, with emphasis on increased access, expansion, and introduction of additional innovative programmes in the areas of skills development, entrepreneurship development, job placement, targeting, women and youth. 
For the 2022/23 financial year, Mosupyoe said the department will place focus on empowering Non-Profit Organisations (NPOs). 
"As Social Development we value our partnerships with the NPOs because they are an essential vehicle at the heart of fighting hunger and poverty, war on substance abuse, gender-based violence, and care for vulnerable children, the elderly, and people living with disabilities."
Going forward, the MEC announced that the adoption services will no longer be available to only the wealthy or chosen few. Instead, they will be accessible to all children and families, irrespective of race or economic class. 
Mosupyoe said she will be engaging the sector accordingly on these planned fundamental service delivery changes.
To address the crisis of hunger in communities, the department has committed a budget allocation of over R 44 million for food parcels to households.
As part of protecting the girl child and women, Mosupyoe said the department will continue to distribute dignity packs and Victim Empowerment Programmes (VEPs) to prevent gender-based violence, empower victims of violence and work with perpetrators of violence will remain core. 
The care, support and protection of older persons and people living with disability remains a priority of the department.  Protective skills workshops to empower people with disabilities will be rollout.
In the current year, an Intersectoral Drug Master Plan, will be implemented to improve education, awareness, and prevention programmes to caution communities and youth in and out of school.