Gauteng NPOs still battling Social Development Dept for funding
The Gauteng Care Crisis Committee has taken the lead in a legal battle on behalf of the NPOs, citing ongoing mismanagement and delays in funding.
The Department of Social Development: Picture: Facebook.com/ SocialDevelopmentZA
JOHANNESBURG - While some non-profit organisations (NPOs) in Gauteng said they are still waiting for funding from the Department of Social Development, others claim they’ve received money without signing contracts.
The Gauteng Care Crisis Committee has taken the lead in a legal battle on behalf of the NPOs, citing ongoing mismanagement and delays in funding.
The committee first took the department to court in May 2024, when dozens of NPOs were left in limbo over whether they would be funded.
At the time, around 60 organisations were represented, many of which had already shut down due to financial uncertainty. That number has since grown.
The crisis came after Premier Panyaza Lesufi announced budget cuts for the 2024/2025 financial year, slashing funding from R2.4 billion to R1.8 billion.
Democratic Alliance (DA) MPL Refiloe Nt’sekhe said the situation remains dire.
“The scary part is I’ve shown them how much money the department is wasting on legal fees, because maybe those legal fees could have made a dent in the money they owe the NPOs because you’ll find that lawyers cost millions.”
Nt’sekhe said their focus is to ensure all approved NPOs get the funding they need to operate.