The social development department continues to do things haphazardly when it comes to paying the approved quarterly funding for non-profits. The consequences for those organisations that care for marginalised and vulnerable people is always harsh.
This time, non-governmental organisations offering vital services to the aged, disabled and children in the Buffalo City metro area — and probably elsewhere in the province — had their funding withheld because they were considered not to have met new approval protocols.
While everybody understands the need to tighten controls to reduce the chances of widespread corruption in this sector, there must surely be better ways to educate and empower organisations to meet new red tape requirements so that they don’t end up being paid late or missing out on an entire quarter of approved funding.
It means caregivers and social workers are left without salaries for months and organisations’ beneficiaries are left without vital medication, food or proper care. For many of these organisations, it can result in closure.
There are already way too many holes in our social security networks through which the vulnerable fall. And the landing for these susceptible people is never gentle. It results in homelessness, starvation, and even death.
So there is an onus on government to be particularly careful that funding is not delayed or denied for reasons that could have been avoided.
The constitution places a positive duty on the state to respect, promote, protect and fulfil the rights in the bill of rights, including the rights of children, the disabled and the aged. The “best interest” of children should always be paramount and this includes their protection and care. Elderly people are similarly recognised as a vulnerable group with special needs.
The department says the stringent measures are necessary to avoid further negative findings by the auditor general, who annually finds the department lacked oversight on funded NGO spending. But there are humane ways to implement oversight that need not result in hardship for anyone.
There is a critical shortage in the Eastern Cape of care for these vulnerable groups.
Those organisations that do so need to be looked after and encouraged. Part of this is to provide funding security so that they can also budget and spend appropriately. This also encourages better reporting on funds spent and better security on cyclical funding.
Most of these organisations are able to better cater for vulnerable groups at a lower cost than government does so at its own institutions.
Government therefore needs to really step up efforts to support them in a sustainable way.
Daily Dispatch
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.