Dictionary: D | Western Cape Government

Dictionary: D

Definitions for government terms, listed alphabetically.
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Death certificate - Certificate issues by a doctor when someone dies declaring whether the died of natural or unnatural causes.
Deforestation - The cutting down of forests and other vegetation.
Delegation - Transferring responsibility or assigning a task to someone with less authority so that they can carry out the task on your behalf.
Deliverable - An output or tangible product of work that is used to confirm that a certain amount of work has been done or that specified targets have been met.
Democracy - Majority rule. The people vote in an election and the party or candidates that get the most votes rule the country.
Demographics - The break-down of the population in terms of age, gender, race, income etc.
Densification - Developing unused land in sparsely populated areas of the city to accommodate more people. This gives people access to land which is already serviced (electricity, water, sanitation).
Dental extractions - Removing teeth.
Dependant - Someone who relies on someone else for financial support.

For example, a child is the dependant of its parents.
Deportation - Forcing someone who is in the country illegally to leave the country.
Deregulation - Removing restrictions and government controls that make progress or success difficult.
Desertification - When an area starts to become a desert because the land has not been managed properly or because of climate change.
Detoxification - Medically supervised treatment program designed to rid the body of addictive substances (like drugs or alcohol).
Developed country - An industrialised country with a strong and well organised economy and highly developed infrastructure. Also called a First World country.
Developmental screening - Medical examination of young children to check that they are developing normally.
Diabetes - Disease affecting the metabolism which can cause excessive urination and continuous thirst.
Digital divide - Gap between countries and communities that have access to information technology and those that don't.
Diphtheria Tetanus Pertussis (DTP) - Three-in-one innoculation to vaccinaate against Diptheria, Tetanus and Pertussis.
Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) - The head of prosecutions in the Province, he assigns cases to each of the State prosecutors.

The Director of Public Prosecutions in the Western Cape is Frank Kahn.
Disability Grant - This grant is available to South Africans between the age of 18 and 60 for women and 18 and 65 for men who have a medically confirmed disability. It is subject to a means test.
Disaster management - The process of dealing with disasters, like floods and earthquakes. It refers to efforts to prevent disasters and reduce their impact and to responses to disasters after they have happened, such as disaster relief.
Distance learning - Education that takes place without the learner and educator meeting face-to-face. It is also often called correspondence learning.
District municipality - A local authority that has municipal executive and legislative authority in an area that includes more than one municipality.

For example, the West Coast District Municipality consists of a number of local municipalities.
District surgeon - A state doctor who gathers evidence for court cases and treats people in State custody. The District Surgeon will perform rape examinations and will treat prisoners.
Divorce - When a marriage is legally ended.
Divorce Courts - Courts that specifically deal with divorce cases.
Domestic violence - Any form of violence or abuse in a domestic relationship, including physical, sexual, emotional, verbal, psychological and economic abuse.
Domestic worker - A person who is paid to work in someone else's house, including a gardener, driver, house keeper, cleaner and child minder
Downs syndrome - Genetic disorder which causes mild to moderate mental retardation. People with Downs Syndrome are often quite short and have flattened facial features.