Child Welfare still in trouble

This is according to Mike Waters, the DA Lethabong constituency head.

In a statement, Waters says the local office is one of nine NGOs on the East Rand that are still underfunded.

Together, the organisations are currently underfunded by 60.59% or R22 255 505-million.

The local society is underfunded by a staggering R 3 465 324-m according to Waters.

The R1 034 784-m provided by government per annum to the local society is not nearly enough to make up for all the organisation’s requirements.

Sanet van Moerkerken, project manager for the Springs and KwaThema Child Welfare Society, says the organisation is struggling financially and battles to pay for necessities.

Their annual budget is R3-m.

They receive money from government in four payments and have not received any funds for April, May and June.

Due to the unavailability of the funds, the staff at the society have not received salaries since March.

This has a negative impact on the organisation’s service delivery.

Van Moerkerken says the staff feel they are not appreciated by government.

Waters believes government is not taking responsibility to ensure that the children are being looked after.

Government admitted that it cost the society R4 500 108-m per annum to deliver much needed services in the community.

Van Moerkerken previously announced that they haven’t received any funding from The National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund since 2008.

Waters says the government cut the capacity for NGOs to fundraise with the introduction of the Lotto and they are now failing to fund the services they expect NGOs to provide on their behalf.

He has asked the South African Human Rights Commission to investigate this underfunding as it is an assault on children’s rights.

The lack of service delivery will cause children and the community to suffer unnecessary heartache when no staff is available to protect them.