DSD STRENGTHENS PARTNERSHIP WITH TRADITIONAL LEADERS TO EXPAND RURAL SOCIAL SERVICES

By Keitumetse Rampoporo

• Department of Social Development (DSD) proposes a formal MOU with the Forum for South African Majesties and the South African Queens Council to institutionalise collaboration on rural social development.
• Traditional leaders are identified as critical partners in combating poverty, GBVF, substance abuse, child protection challenges, and social vulnerabilities across rural communities.
• Nine priority action areas outlined, including Integrated Community Registration Outreach Programme (ICROP) expansion, youth development, HIV prevention, elder protection, and advocacy for the employment of over 9,000 qualified social workers.

The Department of Social Development (DSD) has strengthened its partnership with South Africa’s traditional leadership structures, declaring that kings, queens and traditional councils are critical allies in extending social services to the country’s most remote rural communities.

During the Joint Strategic Planning Session of the Forum for South African Majesties and the South African Queens Council, held at the East London International Convention Centre (ICC) in the Eastern Cape on 11–12 December 2025, Mr  Abraham Phahlamohlaka, Acting Chief of Staff in the Office of the Minister, emphasised the importance of traditional leaders as essential partners in addressing issues such as poverty, gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF), substance abuse, child abuse, and elder abuse. He stated, “If there is any department that should collaborate closely with both the Majesties Forum and the Queens Council, it is the Department of Social Development.”

Phahlamohlaka further asserted that his department is the heartbeat of the nation and added that when everything else fails, society expects social development to step in.

A significant outcome of the planning session was the proposal to establish a formal Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the DSD and the traditional leadership bodies. According to Mr Phahlamohlaka, such an agreement would institutionalise cooperation and replace sporadic collaboration with a structured, permanent partnership.

Priority areas for joint action:

The presented nine urgent areas where traditional leaders can accelerate impact at community level:

1. ⁠ICROP – Coordinating efforts with Home Affairs, SASSA, Health and SAPS to bring services to rural villages. SASSA plans more than 500 ICROP activities for 2025–2026, with traditional leaders guiding the selection of priority communities.
2. ⁠GBVF –Encouraging traditional leaders to lead prevention efforts and ensure perpetrators do not misuse culture as a shield. DSD continues to train traditional authorities as GBVF champions.
3. Alcohol and substance abuse- addressing underage drinking and recent child fatalities linked to alcohol consumption in the Eastern Cape.
4. Protection of older persons- Campaigns against witchcraft accusations and elder abuse.
5. Child protection- Reducing teenage pregnancy (South Africa has the highest rate in the region). Mr Phahlamohlaka said there’s a need to ensure that “blessers” face the full might of the law for statutory rape instead of settling matters with livestock as a bribe to the families of the victims.
6. ⁠HIV prevention- Reinvigorating prevention efforts through the Rock Leadership programme that capacitates traditional leaders.
7. Youth development and job creation-Supporting entrepreneurship among young people, including access to opportunities funded by the National Development Agency (NDA).
8. ⁠Employment of social workers- More than 9,000 government-funded social workers remain unemployed. Traditional leaders are asked to lobby provinces to absorb these professionals so that every traditional council area has dedicated social workers.
9. Basic Income Support- Keeping traditional councils informed as government finalises policy direction on transitioning from the current R370 Social Relief of Distress grant (extended to 2027) to a permanent income support mechanism.

The department reiterated that while policy is developed nationally, implementation relies heavily on provincial functions and community-level partnerships. Traditional leaders, therefore, remain critical in ensuring that national policies translate into meaningful change in rural areas. “We can develop the best policies in Pretoria, but if they do not find expression in the areas under your jurisdiction, they remain paper policies,” Mr Phahlamohlaka emphasised.

The session ended with a commitment from both sides to fast-track the proposed MOU and to begin joint planning for the 2025 ICROP campaign in rural districts. The Department of Social Development’s slogan- ” . .” has seldom felt more literal.