NPO funding: Premier Lesufi halts budget cuts after public outcry

24 April 2023

The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng welcomes Premier Panyaza Lesufi’s intervention in the reprioritisation of funds to NPOs after sustained pressure by the DA and affected NPOs.

During a media interview this morning, Premier Lesufi indicated he would meet with the MEC for Social Development, Mbali Hlophe and the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) to discuss the matter.

We welcome this announcement by the Premier; however, if he is indeed serious about reversing the current budget proposal, then a restructuring of the department’s budget should be undertaken to ensure that the negative impact on NPOs is mitigated while new focus areas are also supported. The DA would like to see a demand-driven budget and not one that is arbitrarily changed.

During the reprioritisation of funds, the following categories of NPOs were affected:

- R71.5 million taken from the NPOs that care for the elderly,

- R50 million taken from disabled persons NPOs budget,

- R238.6 million taken from HIV/AIDS and children NPOs budget,

- R57 million taken from care and services to families NPOs budget,

- R70 million taken from Child and Youth Care Centres (CYCC),

- R46.5 million was taken from the community-based care for children NPOs budget.

The DA calls on the Premier along with MEC Hlophe to urgently attend to the restructuring of the department’s budget and reallocation of funds, and present the new social development budget to the Gauteng Legislature as a matter of urgency.

It is of utmost that when budgets are reprioritised that all vulnerable residents are still able to access the same level of services without feeling the pinch.

Issued by Refiloe Nt’sekhe, DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Social Development, 24 April 2023