Gauteng Social Development en route to killing NPO’s

The Gauteng MEC for Social Development, Agriculture and Rural Development, Mbali Hlophe hosted a briefing with the NPO sector on April 06 at Sakumzi Place.

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According to MEC Hlophe, the aim of the briefing was to enlighten attendees on the reprioritisation of the 2023/24 budget for the NPO sector.

Gauteng Social Development’s plan to reprioritise means that R500 million is being moved away from NPO’s towards substance abuse, homelessness and youth development.

This means money is being taken away from organisations that look after vulnerable children, persons with disabilities, older persons and social work in general. Thousands of vulnerable people might no longer receive food parcels and psychosocial support services.

“We already spend about 2.3 billion a year towards NPO’s. We give this money to NPO’s so that they can assist the government to do the work that will help benefit the development of society including children, elderly and people living with HIV and AIDS.

“Government therefore needs to look at how they allocate the funds which needs to help the society,” MEC Hlophe said.

NPO founders who attended the briefing expressed great dissatisfaction over the loss of their funding.

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One NPO founder indicated that they look after 2000 people with disabilities and would have to close down if they lose their funding from the Department of Social Development.

MEC Hlophe has not even given an answer during the various meetings held around the province or to the portfolio committee regarding what will happen to the beneficiaries of the NPO’s who will be stripped of funding.

“We are committed to have engagements with various sectors so that we take them through the work that we do.

“When we speak about the society, we talk about various people who become frustrated with the inability to stand up for themselves and this is why we want to return dignity to the people and enable them to be skilled so that they can work for themselves throughout development pipelines,” said the MEC.

She added that her Department has also been fighting the issue of substance abuse for many years and will continue to do so.

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