MINISTER SISISI TOLASHE TO TABLE SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT BUDGET VOTE IN CAPE TOWN

By DSD News

• Minister Sisisi Tolashe is set to present the Social Development Budget Vote 19 for 2025/26 in Parliament on Thursday, outlining plans to strengthen dignity and inclusion across South Africa.
• The budget vote, themed “Restoring Trust, Deepening Impact: Reigniting the Role of the Family,” will detail commitments and funding for the Department, SASSA and the NDA under the seventh administration.
• In the lead-up to the budget address, social initiatives will unfold in Stellenbosch and Khayelitsha, aimed at creating jobs, extending social assistance and protecting children from violence.

The Department of Social Development will this week turn the spotlight on renewed commitments to fighting poverty and driving social change as Minister Sisisi Tolashe prepares to table Budget Vote 19 in Parliament, Cape Town. This will be the second budget delivered under the seventh administration’s Government of National Unity, and it carries a strong message of restoring trust and deepening impact in communities.

Under the theme “Restoring Trust, Deepening Impact: Reigniting the Role of the Family in a Renewed Commitment to Dignity and Inclusion,” Minister Tolashe will outline budget allocations, progress achieved, and plans for the Medium-Term Development Plan. The vote will also cover how the Department, together with the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) and the National Development Agency (NDA), intends to strengthen service delivery and roll out vital relief measures to support vulnerable South Africans.

Ahead of the Parliamentary sitting, the NDA will hand over a cheque to Imbadu Community Bakery, a new cooperative in Kayamandi, Stellenbosch. This funding will help purchase bakery equipment, raw materials, and cover start-up costs, enabling the employment of 22 local young people and women.

At the same time, SASSA will host an Integrated Community Registration Outreach Programme (ICROP) in Khayelitsha. Through ICROP, residents will be able to engage directly with officials from SASSA and other government departments to access social assistance services closer to home.

The build-up continues on Wednesday when the Department will run an outreach at the Thusong Centre in Khayelitsha focused on ending violence against children. This initiative forms part of the Children’s Act and the 365 Days Child Protection Programme of Action, aiming to keep children safe in all spaces from their homes to digital platforms.

These activities underscore the Department’s broader mission to uplift communities and ensure that no one is left behind. Through partnerships and targeted investments, Social Development remains committed to building an inclusive society anchored in dignity, safety and opportunity for all.