Parliament News Digest 26 June:
Today's Topics:
1.Unmarried couples should not receive pension benefits - speech by Steve
Swart
2.Gambling undermines people's welfare - Statement by Steve Swart
3. Investigate the impact of the micro lending and gambling industries on
poverty and the debt trap
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1. Unmarried couples should not receive pension benefits
ACDP MP Steve Swart gave the following speech in Parliament today:
The Judicial Officers (Amendment of Conditions of Service) Bill allowing
same-sex as well as heterosexual unmarried partners of judicial officers to
receive the same financial benefits as married couples is unacceptable, ACDP
spokesperson on justice Steve Swart MP said on Thursday.
"The Judges' Remuneration and Conditions of Employment Act states that if a
judge who is not legally married is involved with one person in a permanent
same-sex life partnership, that person is for all relevant purposes regarded
as legal spouse of that judge," Swart said. "This applies to heterosexual
partnerships as well.
"Why has the government chosen to extend this protection to include
heterosexual unmarried persons as these persons can get married but choose
not to? Why should their partners receive the same pension benefits whilst
they are not prepared to commit to one another by getting married? It's a
case of having your cake and eating it," Swart said.
"The fact that in order to obtain the financial benefits in these types of
relationships, the couple need only register with the Director-General of
Justice and Constitutional Development, presents immense difficulties. The
department will only be able to rely on what the partners say themselves.
How will one combat partners fraudulently stating that they are in such
permanent relationships in order to obtain pension benefits?
"The possibility for abuse is enormous, particularly if this principle is
extended throughout the civil service. The cost to the state will be
enormous, with both homosexual and unmarried heterosexual partners being
entitled to two-thirds of a judge's salary for life. Has any actuarial
costing been done, and will the government pension fund be able to carry
these costs should these benefits be extended to all civil servants?" Swart
asked.
"The ACDP has been the sole party that has repeatedly voiced its opposition
to the amendments and we will not support the bill. We are opposed to
homosexual and unmarried heterosexual partners being accorded the same
status as a spouse, as this is a direct attack on the Judeo-Christian
institution of marriage and family values which are the basic building
blocks of society."
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2. Gambling undermines people's welfare
ACDP MP Steve Swart gave the following statement in Parliament today:
As the producer price inflation figure hit a 30-year low in May this year,
economic experts say that a resulting further interest rate cut should put
extra money in consumer's pockets to help them get out of debt.
But even a strong economy cannot reverse the crippling effect gambling is
having on people's welfare. With over R6 billion spent on gambling in 2001
and over 70% of gamblers spending money in casinos rather than on household
necessities, gambling continues to erode people's budgets and lives,
particularly the poor.
The City of Cape Town is to investigate a possible link between casinos, the
Lotto and other forms of gambling and the non-payment of R2,5-billion in
municipal accounts. Cape Town's city director of income George van Schalkwyk
reports that from information gleaned from council customers who had come in
to make arrangements to pay, this appears to be the case.
He recounted one such incident in which a woman had come to see his
department and had told them she could not pay. When she opened her purse, a
casino "most valued guest gold card" fell out.
According to van Schalkwyk, church groups had also informed the council that
since the opening of GrandWest, the need for food packages has increased.
Even family relationships are affected as every Friday and Saturday night
dozens of "casino kids" hang around until the early hours of the morning,
waiting for their parents to finish gambling. Children are "abandoned",
given a few rands and left to fend for themselves. Banning children from
casinos is not the answer, because they will probably just be left
unattended at home.
The Western Cape proposal to roll out 3 000 limited payout slot machines is
a further example of the greed governing the thoughts of those entrusted
with the welfare of South Africans. By taking advantage of many people's
misguided and desperate hopes of winning money, the government is conveying
the message that profit is more important than the welfare of South Africa's
people.
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3. Motion: Investigate the impact of the micro lending and gambling
industries on poverty and the debt trap
The following motion by ACDP MP (NCOP) Kent Durr was accepted unanimously by
all parties in the National Council of Provinces.
The House notes with concern:
The spiralling debt trap that the people are getting caught in;
Further notes that unemployment is a critical factor causing people to be
lured into borrowing practises from which they have difficulty to escape;
That gambling is a fundamentally a huge contributor to the increase in debt
and poverty;
That the current debt crisis is close to becoming a social disaster, which
needs serious intervention measures, such as education and the imposition of
severe penalties on those who recklessly encourage people at risk to borrow
beyond their means;
That micro-lenders primarily create the easiest access to money, and then by
the deduction of huge amounts through subsequent garnishee orders increase
the debt related problems of our nation
Therefore:
- We are pleased that Parliament is to take steps to address this issue;
- Calls on government to investigate in particular the impact and
contribution of the micro lending and gambling industries on poverty and the
debt trap
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