GP Social Development fails to meet NPO funding deadlines for third consecutive year - Gauteng Care Crisis Committee

JOHANNESBURG - ​The Gauteng Care Crisis Committee, which represents some NPOs (non-profit organisations) has called for full transparency on the funding process from the provincial social development department. 

The department failed to meet its funding deadline for a third consecutive year. 

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The committee represents 105 NPOs, some of which have not received contracts, while those who have signed contracts have not received payments. 

Committee chair Lisa Vetten says the department needs to open up about its processes. 

"The first is that we call on the department to issue a comprehensive data base of each and every organisation that has been given a contract whether or not they have been paid and when they will be paid, with this data base also stating who is not going to be funded." 

NPO on brink of shutting doors

An Ekurhuleni-based skills training facility for the homeless and recovering substance abusers is on the verge of closing because of delayed funding from the Gauteng social development department.

The facility asked not to be named for fear of victimisation, saying it has been waiting for a contract since January this year. 

DA shadow MEC for social development Refiloe Nt'sekhe says the facility received a recognition letter from the department but not a contract for funding. 

The DA has also written to the Public Protector and Auditor-General (AG) to investigate the late payments to non-profit organisations. 

"NPOs are now starting to struggle to pay salaries, there are training facilities that are funded by social development where people would have started training in April and those learners have forfeited training because there’s no money for the fees," says Nt'sekhe.

In its letters, the DA says the department failed to implement recommendations by the AG for the 2023/2024 financial year to meet deadlines for signing contracts with the NPOs.

The party says its concerned that even prior to this, the AG made recommendations to the department from 2018 to 2021 about funding processes which were also not implemented. 

For this reason, the party says it has now also approached the Public Protector to ensure the department obliges. 

"I made a promise to South Africans that I’m going to fight with the department when they do not meet this objective by the end of April and indeed they have not met it," said Nt'sekhe.