The role of the social relief of distress (SRD) in reducing food insecurity: a budget analysis of the resource allocation and expenditure of SRD fund in Western Cape, South Africa

Date
2021-04
Journal Title
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Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Food insecurity remains a major concern and a priority in South Africa. Various policies have been implemented to reduce food insecurity, and these include the provision of social grants in the form of cash transfers. Supplementing these cash transfers, the Social Relief of Distress (SRD) programme is intended for temporary use to reduce acute food insecurity. However, the programme has a history of being grossly underutilised and not reaching vulnerable groups. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to analyse the resource allocation and expenditure of SRD funds in the Western Cape Department of Social Development (WC DSD) over a five-year period, 2014 to 2019. Methods: A descriptive, quantitative analysis was conducted of DSD annual reports between 2014 and 2019. The reports were collected from the national DSD website and the province’s DSD website. RESULTS: The SRD programme receives less budget funds than all the other social welfare programmes. The Western Cape DSD utilises most of its allocated budget for SRD programmes for the compensation of workers and for transfers to NGOs. Positive deviations occurred in 2016/2017, 2017/2018 and 2018/2019 from the targets of 16.8 per cent, 36.5 per cent and 46.6 per cent respectively, with the department assessing and referring more cases than targeted to the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) for SRD grants. CONCLUSION: The SRD programme in the Western Cape contributes to reducing temporary food insecurity by assessing and referring vulnerable households suffering from undue hardships and disasters to SASSA for the SRD grant. The SRD grant is provided in the form of food vouchers or food parcels, which increase households’ food baskets in times of shock. However, practices can be improved, such as the keeping of comprehensive statistics to better monitor implementation of the programme and its impact on food security.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: AGTERGROND: Voedselonsekerheid bly ’n groot problem en ’n prioriteit in Suid-Afrika. Verskeie beleide is geïmplenteer om voedselonsekerheid te verminder, en dit sluit in die voorsiening van maatskaplike toelaes in die vorm van kontantoorplasings. As aanvulling tot hierdie kontantoorplasings is die program vir Sosiale Verligting van Nood (SRD) bedoel vir tydelike gebruik om akute voedselonsekerheid te verminder. Die program het egter ’n geskiedenis dat dit ernstig ondergebruik is en kwesbare groepe nie bereik nie. DOEL: Die doel van hierdie studie is om die hulpbrontoekenning en besteding van SRD-fondse in die Wes-Kaapse Departement van Maatskaplike Ontwikkeling (WK DSD) oor ’n tydperk van vyf jaar, 2014 tot 2019, te ontleed. STUDIE-ONTWERP: ’n Beskrywende, kwantitatiewe ontleding deur middel van ’n dokumentontleding. STUDIE-OPSET: Oorsig van DSD-jaarverslae tussen 2014 en 2019. DATA-INSAMELING: Oorsig van die DSD-jaarverslae en -planne wat oor ’n tydperk van vyf jaar (2014 tot 2019) deur die Wes-Kaap gekureer is. Die verslae is van die DSD se nasionale en provinsiale webwerf verkry. RESULTATE: Die SRD-program ontvang minder begrotingsfondse vir maatskaplike welsyn as al die ander programme. Die Wes-Kaapse DSD gebruik die grootste deel van sy toegekende begroting vir SRD-programme vir die vergoeding van werkers en vir oordragte na NRO’s. Positiewe afwykings vanaf die teikens van 16.8 persent, 36.5 persent en 46.6 persent kom onderskeidelik in 2016/2017, 2017/2018 and 2018/2019 voor, terwyl die department meer gevalle as die wat geteiken is, assesseer en na die Suid-Afrikaanse Agentskap vir Maatskaplike Sekerheid (SASSA) vir SRD-toelaes verwys. GEVOLGTREKKING: Die SRD-program in die Wes-Kaap dra by tot die vermindering van tydelike voedselonsekerheid deur weerlose huishoudings wat onder onredelike swaarkry en rampe gebuk gaan te assesseer en na SASSA vir die SRD-toelae te verwys. Die SRD-toelae word in die vorm van kosbewyse of kospakkies voorsien wat die kosmandjies van huishoudings tydens tye van skok vergroot. Die praktyke kan egter verbeter word, soos die byhou van omvattende statistiek om die implementering van die program en die impak daarvan op voedselsekerheid beter te monitor.
Description
Thesis (MScFoodSc)--Stellenbosch University, 2021.
Keywords
Food security -- South Africa, Social relief of distress -- South Africa -- Western Cape, Social security -- South Africa -- Western Cape, Food vouchers, Food parcels, Budget -- Analysis, UCTD
Citation