Quick navigation: Introduction and The goals | The method | How much has been spent? | What was it spent on? | DEAT’s poverty relief priorities | What is provincial government’s role? | Who is accountable? | Democracy in action | Which provinces get priority? | How does it work? | The communication challenges | How to apply | Useful contacts

Cultural villages like this one in QwaQwa, offer a unique experience for tourists and an oulet for traditional crafts

The purpose of the DEAT Poverty Relief Programme is to manage and administer poverty relief proposals and spin-off projects in the tourism and environment sectors, with a special focus on infrastructure investment and product development (such as heritage sites, rock art and conservation).

These, in turn, are focused around emerging tourism growth points and corridors.

In February 2000, the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism allocation for poverty relief was increased for the 2000-01 financial year. The big challenge was to ensure allocation that would further strengthen the Department's strategic objective based on a triangle of interdependent goals. These entail growing tourism in terms of market share and investment, protecting and conserving our environment, and building our nation.

THE GOALS

DEAT's Poverty Relief Programme is part of a broader Government project set up to mainly alleviate poverty amongst South Africa’s poorest communities. Where possible, this is done in a manner that should create long-term sustainable work opportunities.

In the tourism-related part of our programme, we seek to achieve this through improving tourism potential by creating new facilities or infrastructure and by supporting and encouraging our communities to provide better services.

In the environment-related portion, we aim to clean up the environment through awareness-raising campaigns, creating a culture of sustainable utilisation of natural resources, and by improving the management of waste.

THE METHOD

DEAT has established a Poverty Relief Unit that supports managers in ensuring the implementation of the Poverty Relief Programme.

A crucial part of the process is the computer software used to enable implementation. This approach is used to manage a number of projects in Government, including housing, reconstruction and development, and public works.

This version has been customised for DEAT's Poverty Relief Programme. Information on projects is kept up to the minute, and is instantly available through the web-based version. The entire system can be easily reproduced by other organisations or departments.

"DEAT's Poverty Relief Programme seeks to help
South Africa's poorest communities increating long-term
work opportunities"

HOW MUCH HAS BEEN SPENT?

During the past financial year (1 April 2000 to 31 March 2001), DEAT had R164 million at its disposal. This was made up of a R35 million rollover from the 1999-2000 financial year, an allocation of R99 million for the 2000-01 (past) year, and a further R30 million from the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry’s Working for Water programme.

The Department spent just over R161 million on 133 poverty relief projects. The R2,4 million under-expenditure was brought about by the fact that six projects took longer to start up than expected.

Less than 5%, or R3,96 million, of the budget was spent on programme management. This includes payment of salaries, administration costs, software and management.

Internationally, the average cost for programme management is usually in the order of 11%.

WHAT WAS IT SPENT ON?

The bulk of the money was spent on tourism infrastructure projects, followed by tourism product development, wetland rehabilitation, waste management, and coastal development.

Tourism infrastructure projects in rural areas are a priority, especially those around existising growth points

Tourism infrastructure projects so far have included roads, information centres, tourist ablution facilities, bird hides, walking paths, reserve fencing and food outlets.

Tourism product development includes cultural villages, accommodation, museums, art galleries, craft stalls, training in craft manufacture and protection of rock art.

Cultural villages, for example, offer a unique experience for tourists, and an outlet for traditional crafts.

Signage is also important once roads and tourism products have been developed.

Priority has been given to creating artefacts and curios from recycled goods, instead of using virgin materials, but this does not mean that craft-creation projects are limited only to this.

In waste management projects, household goods are collected and sorted, and the reusable portions sold to recyclers or used in compost for growing vegetable gardens.

At least half the wetlands in South Africa are estimated to be damaged or destroyed. They are extremely important because they provide a clean and steady supply of water. Wetlands are resilient, and can be restored, but it is a labour-intensive process.

The CoastCare programme involves the collection of waste from the beaches, with reusable items sold to recyclers.

Coastal development projects create a sustainable livelihood for the poor. Kelp farming and lobster and abalone ranching are some of the projects that have been considered for funding.

DEAT's POVERTY RELIEF PRIORITIES

Our approach is to ensure that poverty relief projects either support broader Government initiatives (like spatial development initiatives) or policies such as pollution and waste management.

Areas of poverty relief are prioritised on the basis of social conditions (the prevalence of unemployment, underdevelopment and neglect), emerging market trends and national tourism strategy.

Tourism priorities include:

• Spatial development initiatives such as the Lubombo SDI and the Wild Coast SDI.
• Priority Areas for Tourism Infrastructure Investment (PATIIs). These are areas of high potential.
• World Heritage Sites and cultural heritage sites like Robben Island, St Lucia, Ukahlamba-Drakensberg and Sterkfontein Caves.
• National parks and reserves.
• Transfrontier conservation areas like Kgalagadi and Gaza-Kruger-Gonarezhou.
• Wetlands of international importance.
• Biosphere reserves. Currently, South African tourism in urban areas is saturated, while little significant tourism investment has taken place in rural areas and peri-urban areas. So there is a strong argument to be made for targeted investment in these regions.

Depressed rural and peri-urban areas often have great potential for nature and adventure tourism. Improving access to these regions could help turn around the fortunes of poor people in such an area.

Environment priorities include:

• Waste collection services for previously disadvantaged groups.
• Waste minimisation, like recycling, composting, links to food gardens.
• There is an emphasis on sustainability rather than one-off projects.
• All projects should be labour-intensive.

But the most important criterion is that the project must address the needs of the poorest of the poor. This has particular significance where an environmental project offers the potential to create jobs and provides an important service, yet is not located near a development node.

Where sustainability is not feasible, as is sometimes the case, the programme ensures at least that the bulk of allocated funds goes into the pockets of temporary workers.

"The people on the ground know best what is needed
in their communities, and who could do it.
Every person in South Africa has the right
and a chance to suggest poverty relief projects."

WHAT IS PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT’S ROLE?

The participation of provinces is indispensable to the success of the poverty relief programme. Given that the task of selecting, planning, implementing, monitoring and reporting on projects is complex and controversial, provinces are asked to draw up their preferred shortlist, assist in the selection of implementing agents (IAs), and play a role in the monitoring of projects.

WHO IS ACCOUNTABLE?

This is a national programme, using funds allocated by Parliament. In terms of the Public Finance and Management Act, the Director-General of the Department is accountable for all expenditures. For this reason, the programme has to strike a balance between spending all the money available, and ensuring that funds are wisely spent and can be accounted for in the context of set Government priorities.

DEMOCRACY IN ACTION

It is the people on the ground who know best what is needed in their communities and who could do it. It’s for this reason that the net is thrown out as widely as possible. Every person in South Africa can suggest or request support for a poverty relief project(s).

Advertisements are normally placed in national newspapers to attract interest and applications.

Once these applications are in, very strict guidelines are followed to make sure that taxpayers’ money is not wasted, defrauded or misspent. The controls and tracking mechanisms are rigorous.

The most important principle through this entire process is the recognition that projects are finally owned and controlled by the communities concerned.

WHICH PROVINCES GET PRIORITY?

Since the stated aim of the project is to relieve poverty, most support targets the poorest of the poor. Statistics South Africa has produced a poverty analysis, based on the numbers of single-parent households in each province.

DEAT is encouraging the creation of curios or artefacts made from waste materials and invader plants

The money made available from Government is divided up according to the number of poor households in each province.

"Tourism is the fastest-growing
industry in South Africa,
with the greatest potential to create jobs.
But tourism depends heavily on the
quality of the environment"

HOW DOES IT WORK?

Each poverty relief project must have an IA. The IA can be a Government department, a municipality or local council, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), a community-based organisation (CBO) or a private company. The primary consideration is that an IA must be legally constituted, able to open a bank account, and have a history of sound financial management.

It’s usually the IA who makes the initial application, and who will later run the project, if it is chosen.

Once applications have been called for and received, DEAT prepares provincial project lists, by category. The provinces choose a shortlist according to their priorities.

After both the provincial and national of officials have completed their appraisal, the final lists are submitted to the provincial MECs and then to the Minister for approval to proceed with the request for business plans.

When necessary, support is provided to applicants in the drafting of these plans.

The business plans form the basis for the next step, the Memorandum of Agreement signed between DEAT and projects. This serves to protect both parties (DEAT and the project).

The average time from initial application to the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement is under six months.

The average amount allocated to each individual project is just over R1 million, with a 12-month implementation period. The Programme allocates funds in monthly tranches.

If a project is not accepted because the budget is used up, it is put into an “under consideration” file. If a project falls through for whatever reason, the projects in this file can then be considered.

THE COMMUNICATION CHANNELS

Each one of the projects is in constant communication with DEAT via the Internet. All reports are filed electronically.

If the IA has no Internet access, it is done by fax, and DEAT officials enter particulars to the electronic programme. In the near future, these projects will be linked to the DEAT website in line with Government objectives of transparency and accountability.

Project types and values from April 1999 to March 2001

HOW TO APPLY

If you have access to the Internet, look at the website www.thelapa.com.

The initial application is short. Do not go into a lot of detail. It is not necessary at this stage.

Should you not have access to the Internet, call Shelley at (012) 310-3620 for a printed application form that must be filled in and sent back.

Once the project has been assessed and is found to meet the initial criteria, you will be contacted for a business plan.

USEFUL CONTACTS Eastern Cape Luke Baisley (082) 577-5224 Free State Shirley Bothma (082) 870-9587 Gauteng and North West Bruce Welchman (083) 625-9410 KwaZulu-Natal Basil Karstadt (082) 775-2472 Mpumalanga and Northern Province Piet du Plessis (082) 771-8654 Northern Cape and Western Cape Mike Saunders (082) 808-8172 National office Switchboard -------- (012) 310-3620 Molefe Lebethe ---- (082) 880-9095 Tommy Grant ------ (082) 785-9218 Brian Monteith ----- (083) 456-7466 Gerrie du Preez --- (083) 639-0632

Poverty relief is part of DEAT's objective of creating a better life for all