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in terms of the National Welfare Act, 1978. Almost without exception, local welfare
organizations are affiliated to one of 18 nationally - or provincially-organised bodies
(for example, the SA National Council for the Blind, or the Jewish Family and
Community Council of the Transvaal). These national and provincial bodies
co-ordinate and develop local services within their functional fields. While overall
control of social welfare planning is retained by the various state departments, four
structures exist to facilitate co-operation between the state and the private sector on
matters directly or indirectly related to welfare (McKendrick 1987 : 26):
•
•
•
•
Nationally and provincially-organised bodies liaise with the state on
matters concerning the field(s) in which they function, while on matters
ofcommon interest they combine together into an ad hoc committee for
dealings with the state.
The National Welfare Act, 1978, provides for 24 regional welfare
boards, representing states and community interests, which have
statutory power to regulate, co-ordinate, promote and plan welfare
activities within their religions. These boards are uniracial. At the
national level, the multi-racial South African Welfare Council advises
the government on social welfare needs and issues.
For the purposes of co-ordinating social, physical, economic and
constitutional development, the Department of Constitutional
Development and Planning has created multi-racial Regional
Development Advisory Committees in each of the eight development
regions of South Africa. Each regional committee is represented on the
National Development Advisory Committee, which advises the Cabinet
on overall development needs and strategies.
A national Population Development Programme, initiated in 1984, has
the aim of stimulating community development at the local level in
order to accelerate improvement in the quality of life of all