ZULULAND boasts many warm-hearted, empathetic and generous community members; however, it has been reported that not all newly established charities can be trusted as sincere Samaritans.
Concerns over potentially dubious non-profit organisations (NPOs) were raised at a Local Victim Empowerment Forum (LVET) in Richards Bay, where various local charities meet on a quarterly basis with the Department of Social Development (DSD).
Attendants voiced their worries regarding fraudsters registering fake NPOs on the Internet, thus satisfactorily verifying their false establishment as legitimate to trusting donors.
‘Unfortunately, the DSD would only recognise that an NPO is false after a year when the organisation fails to submit its annual reports to the department.
‘Only then will it be unregistered from the DSD’s system,’ said Lifeline’s Sue Stephenson.
DSD representatives at the meeting confirmed that the issue is a significant concern to the department and repeated its warning to the public to remain wary when making donations to unfamiliar NPO’s without getting substantial proof of their authenticity.
Before making a contribution, members of the public are encouraged to confirm the considered NPO’s registration and legitimacy on the DSD website or by contacting a local DSD office.
