POLITICS

979 163 beneficiaries affected by late NGO payments – Refiloe Nt'sekhe

DA says despite MEC's denial that payment crisis was under control, 421 NGOs are still waiting for their money

979 163 beneficiaries affected by late NGO payments

5 June 2017

Gauteng Social Development MEC, Nandi Mayathula-Khoza has revealed that a total of 2654 NGOs were affected by non-payments affecting almost a million beneficiaries in the province.

Despite MEC Mayathula-Khoza’s denial that the payment crisis was under control, in a reply to a DA question she revealed that only 14% of the NGO Annual Allocation has been transferred.

421 NGOs are still awaiting payment.

The DA has been reliably informed that a number of NGOs had not received their monthly grant funding for the 2017/18 financial year earlier this year.

I have requested the MEC to establish an investigation into the matter and to fast track payments, yet she has failed to respond.

Late payments severely impact the services that need to be rendered by NGOs in the province.

MEC Mayathula-Khoza’s office must prioritise its functions in order to get service level agreements signed, payments transferred and shirk less of its responsibilities.

The DA will follow up with the NGOs who have reported non-payments and hold the department accountable on their promise to have all NGOs paid this month.

Issued by Refiloe Nt’sekhe, DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Social Development, 5 June 2017