(GENDER, CHILDREN, YOUTH, SENIOR CITIZENS, PEOPLE LIVING WITH DISABILITIES, HIV/AIDS and OPERATION SUKUMA SAKHE)

Establishment of the Special Programmes Unit (SPU)
The SPU was established in 2007. It has been realized that the psychological well-being of the rate payers is imperative, hence target groups’ participation is of value. This is about the acknowledgement that every individual is different; whether in terms of age, gender or otherwise. The SPU utilizes the Biopsychosocial Model which holistically addresses the issues specifically relating to an individual. Consequently, cognitive empowerment allows individuals to be their own resources.

VISION
A psychologically empowered society that upholds the rights of women, men, children, senior citizens, youth and people with disabilities towards an HIV/AIDS free society.

MISSION
To mainstream the rights and upliftment of women, men, children, senior citizens, youth and people with disabilities through advocacy, intersectoral collaboration, capacity development, monitoring and evaluation.

VALUES
Respect: To serve with courtesy
Effective Communication: To exercise a productive participatory rapport.
Commitment: To serve and promote the well-being of all target groups
Equity: To exercise fair discrimination or impartiality at all times;
Accountability: To account for all our actions in delivering on our mandate.
Collectivism: To promote a culture of social cohesion and advocate collective effort in all our activities;

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES
• Strengthen good governance for the Special Programmes Unit to deliver on its mandate.
• Promote intersectoral collaboration through Operation Sukuma Sakhe.
• Promote, advocate and monitor women’s empowerment and gender equality.
• Promote, advocate and monitor men’s rights and responsibilities.
• Promote, advocate and monitor children’s rights and responsibilities.
• Promote, advocate and monitor senior citizen’s rights and responsibilities.
• Promote, advocate and monitor youth’s rights and responsibilities.
• Promote, advocate and monitor the rights of people with disabilities.
• Promote, advocate and monitor the rights of people living with HIV/AIDS.

Mandate
The mandate of the Special Programmes Unit is to promote, facilitate, coordinate and monitor the realization of the rights of women, men, youth, children, senior citizens and people with disabilities.

Constitutional Mandate
When the President announced the Ministry for Women, Children and People with Disabilities in May 2009 and proclaimed the establishment of the department in July 2009, he emphasised the need for equity and access to development opportunities for the vulnerable groups in our society.

Policy Mandates
A range of policies inform equality, empowerment, human rights and human dignity processes. These include, among others, the following:

• Municipal Systems Act
• Municipal Finance Management Act
• Municipal Structures Act
• White Paper on Affirmative Action in the Public Service, 1997
• White Paper on Integrated National Disability Strategy, 1997
• South African National Policy Framework for Women’s Empowerment and Gender Equality, 2000
• Technical Assistance Guidelines on the Employment of People with Disabilities, 2007
• South African International Relations and Cooperation Framework
• Employment Equity Act (Act 55 of 1996)
• Promotion of Equality and Prevention of Unfair Discrimination Act (Act 39 of 1996)
• Basic Conditions of Employment Act (Act 75 of 1997)
• Domestic Violence Act (Act 116 of 1998)
• Maintenance Act (Act 4 of 1998)
• Skills Development Act (Act 97 of 1998)
• Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment Act (Act 53 of 2003)
• Children’s Act (Act 38 of 2005)