Overview
The context South Africa has made immense progress since the birth of the new democracy. For the first time in several years, the country is in a position to deliver an accelerated response in many areas of development, resulting from the dramatic improvement in tax collection and ongoing political and social transformation initiatives. In the past two years, more than 300,000 HIV positive adults have been able to access antiretroviral therapy (ART) but unfortunately prevention and treatment are being outpaced by the rate of infection and death. South Africa has an estimated two million orphaned children, many of whom have lost their parents or caregivers to HIV and AIDS. By 2015, there will be 5.7 million orphans. Although the social grant system is extensive and reaches about 7.2 million children, many others do not access social assistance. An estimated 11 million children live in households with a monthly income of less than R1,200. Access to public schooling for children is widely available and enrolment continues to increase but the quality of education in township and rural schools is a major concern. A large number of children remain out of school, and school-based violence and deteriorating infrastructure have emerged as challenges to the education system. Primary healthcare is free for children and pregnant women yet many poor and vulnerable South Africans are not reached adequately by the health services. Child mortality rates have not shown much improvement and up to 40 per cent of deaths in children under the age of five are due to HIV and AIDS. The country’s rising trend in child abuse and violence is reaching alarming proportions. Forty per cent of reported rapes in 2004/5 were committed against children. Gender inequality, a legal system that does not effectively protect the victims, and children’s rising vulnerability in the context of poverty and the AIDS pandemic are some of the reasons for the escalating abuse. UNICEF, working with other UN agencies, has responded to the challenge and helped galvanize various partners through the 365 Days of Action to End Violence Against Women and Children initiative and the National Anti Rape Strategy. Partnership for increased advocacy for children and resource leveraging Many of the gains have produced positive results for children, including the impressive social security system and free treatment for people living with HIV and AIDS. UNICEF, as a development partner, has welcomed and embraced these opportunities while recognising a host of continuing challenges. Service delivery remains the key stumbling block for improving child survival, protection and development, which UNICEF is committed to address by working closely with the Government and other stakeholders. In 2006, UNICEF was particularly encouraged by the political space that emerged to respond to HIV and AIDS challenges. The reinvigorated role of the Deputy President in chairing the South African National AIDS Council, the launch of the Government’s new framework for a multi-sectoral National Strategic Plan to fight the AIDS epidemic and the collegial meetings between Government and civil society signalled improved collaboration and action for the future. The Government of South Africa oversees a budget that annually exceeds revenue expectations although in many areas key to children’s survival, development and protection, these funds are not efficiently spent, leaving many children’s programmes under-resourced. This is where UNICEF has played an important role, by using its resources (human and material) strategically, to help the Government identify bottlenecks, allocate and expend resources and monitor and analyse situations and impact.
Forging ahead While South Africa is committed to the long-term challenge of transforming itself into a nation that provides for everyone, two thirds of the population lives on less than US$2 a day in the midst of concentrated wealth. The country has vast skills, knowledge and capacity at the most senior levels of Government, in academia and business, and the ability to finance enormous poverty reduction programmes without external donor funds. These resources need to be leveraged for child-focused interventions and used strategically to improve service delivery while assisting local government to spend funds in ways that produce tangible results for children and women. As we venture into implementation of the new Country Programme for 2007–2010, UNICEF is committed to continuing advocacy for a conducive policy and regulatory framework; leveraging resources for the promotion of child rights; contributing to the development and implementation of major national plans and strategies; and facilitating engagements between civil society and the Government to work for and with children. UNICEF will also continue to be proactive in mobilising more resources for children while increasing the profile of the Country Office by recruiting senior programme staff with expertise in health, child protection and management of high-level partnerships. These measures will help strengthen UNICEF’s capacity to leverage a greater national response for children affected by poverty, HIV and AIDS and poor service delivery. The main focus will be on scaling up and piloting innovative approaches and increasing access to basic social services for orphaned and vulnerable children. UNICEF is a member of the United Nations family of development agencies. Read some more: State of the Nation: South Africa 2005 - 2006, published by the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC Press)
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