Gauteng premier urges local NPOs to maintain a green status
Over 600 delegates from funded NPOs were invited to engage on issues affecting the sector.
The Gauteng government led by Premier Panyaza Lesufi and MEC for Social Development, Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, Mbali Hlophe, hosted over 600 delegates from various NPOs on August 1 and 2 to engage on issues affecting the sector.
The two-day NPO Provincial Summit was a commitment by the premier to meet and engage NPOs in the social sector following regional consultations in all five corridors of Gauteng.
The purpose of the summit was to discuss matters of interest and address funding challenges within the sector in a manner that accelerates service delivery.
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It was also to discuss elevated priorities and renew a relationship of trust between the government and the NPO sector.
The premier reiterated the importance of maintaining a green status, adding that NPOs that are doing good must be supported with resources to continue their good work.
“Those that are chance takers must be brought to book and eliminated in the system and those that want to enter the system must be capacitated,” he said.
“We convened you here for one reason, which is to harness the NPO sector and develop a shared vision on how best this sector can be funded to reposition the economy.
“For the sustainability of this sector, as government, we are prepared to fund NPOs for three to five years. We want to put it firmly that we want to stabilise and invest in this sector so that we see value for money.
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“We value and appreciate your work. We want to travel this journey together. Your next round of applications should request funding based on the resolutions taken in the summit, and the Department must indicate in the service level agreement whether you qualify for three or five-year funding,” said Lesufi.
The Gauteng Department of Social Development said it has a long working relationship with the NPO sector, a relationship which has proved to be mutually beneficial not only for the parties involved but also for the broader residents of Gauteng.
This partnership is providing services to more than 3.2 million beneficiaries and has succeeded in creating jobs for just under 15 000 people.
The Department is funding the sector with an amount of R2 304 469b, making Gauteng Social Development the leading provincial funder of this sector throughout the country.
