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62 337 Gauteng people with disabilities to suffer as DSD moves funds away from NPOs

62 337 people with disabilities in Gauteng will now suffer without much-needed support and workshops because the Gauteng Department of Social Development (DSD) has moved R50 million from their programme to fund the drug and substance abuse programme.

The new funding model will negatively impact 62 337 people with disabilities who, according to the department’s 2021/2022 annual performance plan accessed the disability prevention programmes.

Over 4000 of these people benefited in protective workshops where their dignity and self-worth were constantly restored.

The DA commends Gauteng social workers who have in the past financial year provided up to 14 906 disabled people with coping skills.

The reprioritisation of funds meant for people with disabilities is an indication that the department has no compassion and care for the most vulnerable in our society.

Below is an indication of how funds have been reprioritised:

  • R 71.5 million taken from the NPOs that care for the elderly,
  • R 50 million taken from disabled persons NPOs budget,
  • R238.6 million taken from HIV / AIDS and children NPOs budget,
  • R 57 million taken from care and services to families NPOs budget,
  • R70 million taken from Child and Youth Care Centres (CYCC),
  • R46.5 million was taken from community-based care for children NPOs budget.

Here are the programmes that have largely benefitted:

  • Poverty alleviation and skills development with an additional R338.7 million with a total budget of R894.6 million,
  • Substance abuse with an additional R188 million with a total budget of R615 million,
  • Youth development with an additional R18.1 million with a total budget of R 40. 7 million,
  • Women development with an additional R17 .3 million with a total budget of R24.9 million,
  • Crime prevention with an additional R6.8 million with a total budget of R158. 7 million,
  • Victim empowerment with an additional R5 million with a total budget of R184.5 million.

The reprioritising of NPOs funding will have a huge social impact on the most vulnerable citizens of Gauteng.

Currently, 4300 homeless children are cared for by NPOs and the DA fears financial cuts will force these children to go back to the streets or abusive backgrounds they come from. This might increase crime and lead to substance abuse.

The DA is liaising with their national counterparts in the National Assembly to seek the Minister of Social Development, Lindiwe Zulu’s urgent intervention on the issue. We will continue to support the pickets by the NPOs to force DSD to review the NPOs funding model.

In our continued fight against the new NPOs funding model, we call all Gauteng residents to sign the DA’s petition to Scrap the new NPOs funding model. See the petition here.

 

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DA Debates Gauteng Social Development 2015/16 Annual Report

Speech by: Refiloe Nt’sekhe MPL

“Secrecy over transfers to NGOs will be exposed by the DA”

  • There is no detail of transfers to each of the 2598 NGOs in Gauteng.
  • The department had 1017 abnormal appointments out of a staff compliment of 5417.
  • The department had a 17.8% vacancy rate (910 posts). Of these 47.7% were of lower skill as in Level 1-2).
  • No people with disabilities were recruited in the department during this period.
  • Out of 4198 employees, 3016 used sick leave costing the department R19 million.

The full speech can be obtained here.

 

Speech by: Ashor Sarupen MPL

“The good, the bad and the ugly”

  • 49 individual consultants worked on 21 projects for a total of 896 work days, totalling over R2million in spend.
  • Only 75% of the EPWP grant given to the department was spent.
  • Domestic abuse is still a serious problem, drug addiction and gangsterism still plagues too many of our communities.
  • Women are disproportionately the victims of domestic violence, and many see no escape, trapping them into abusive relationships, despite the work by the department.

The full speech can be obtained here.

 

 

Media Enquiries:

Refiloe Nt’sekhe MPL

DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Social Development

060 558 8297

 

Ashor Sarupen

DA Gauteng Spokesperson on Finance

060 558 8303

[Image source]

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DA Debates 2014/15 Social Development Annual Report

Speech by: Refiloe Nt’sekhe MPL

“Social Development Department continues to fail the most vulnerable”

  • It seems that the department has done away with trying to empower companies of people with disabilities as this does not even feature any more.
  • It is encouraging that all the children in foster care receive social work services. The Western Cape has taken this a step further by providing training for care-givers and parents, with 5,721 beneficiaries this year.
  • If the youth account for 70% unemployment in South Africa, then I can only ask that the department should do much more, so please expand the soft targets looking at the real despair of youth with regards to unemployment.

The full speech can be obtained here.

 

 

Speech by: Ashor Sarupen MPL

“Poor policy undermines social stability”

  • If one takes the narrow view of just looking at audited financial statements, one would say that the department is performing very well – with an unqualified audit opinion. However, when one actually looks at the spending patterns and performance of the department against plans and targets, a very troubling picture about the state of our society emerges.
  • I hope that every ANC member takes a long, hard look at the social development annual report and sees the social needs out there and forces the party to change its economic track to a high growth, job creating economy.
  • If we do not take steps to turn this situation around soon, we will reach a point where no amount of social welfare and development programmes will be sufficient to address our problems.

The full speech can be obtained here.

 

 

Media enquiries:

Refiloe Nt’sekhe MPL

DA Shadow MEC for Social Development

060 558 8297

 

Ashor Sarupen

DA Gauteng Spokesperson for Social Development

060 558 8303

[Image source]

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Gauteng Sports Department Unable To Procure From Disabled

People with Disabilities

The Gauteng Department of Sports, Arts, Recreation and Culture (SRAC) has failed to meet its first quarterly target for the 2015/16 year of 5% preferential procurement from enterprises run by People with Disabilities (PwDs).

The Department only conducted business with 1.62% of identified PwDs.

This huge shortfall in targeted objectives has denied a frequently marginalised sector of the population the opportunity to tap into the economy.

Preferential Procurement Processes

Economic inclusion is not restricted to able bodied members of society. PwDs have varied skill sets that should be recognised and utilised.

The extension of preferential procurement processes to vulnerable groups such as people with disabilities, the youth and women are of no use if Gauteng Provincial Government departments do not implement them effectively.

If entrepreneurs are to be captains of industries, as suggested last week by Premier David Makhura, he must ensure that his MECs ensure their departments are fully compliant with their strategic objectives.

The DA will question the Premier as to what steps he intends to take against non-compliant departments.

 

Media enquiries:

Kingsol Chabalala MPL

DA Gauteng Spokesperson on Sports, Arts, Culture and Recreation

060 558 8299

[Image source]