Gauteng Social Development must reinstate NPO funding to save lives
2 August 2023
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng supports the calls made by NPOs during a picket this week demanding the reinstatement of funding. They demand payment for all complaint NPOs, and the department must outline how they plan to take over beneficiaries of non-compliant NPOs.
Earlier this year, many NPOs had funds taken away from them and diverted to the substance abuse and poverty alleviation programmes in the Department of Social Development.
This has had dire consequences for many NPOs that provide critical services to the vulnerable in the community. Many had to close their doors because they did not have sufficient funding to continue paying their staff and rendering services to their beneficiaries.
During the picket, the NPOs demanded that their funding be backdated to April 2023. This is vital if the operations of the NPOs are to continue without interruptions. Premier Lesufi promised to pay NPOs, and staff resumed their work hoping to receive funding.