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Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi has resolved to reinstate the budgets of several nonprofit organisations (NPOs), following an engagement meeting between the organisations and the MEC of social development, agriculture, rural development and environment Mbali Hlope at Sci-Bono in Newtown.
This after, the NPOs staged protests last month expressing their anger over the proposed budget cuts, which were intended to be implemented in the coming months, supposedly to align the budget with Lesufi’s priorities, including substance abuse and youth skills development.
City Press reported a week ago that the Gauteng department of social development’s decision to cut R416 million in funding to NPOs had raised the spectre of a repeat of the Life Esidimeni tragedy. People with disabilities cared for by NPOs in Gauteng had expressed a fear that losing funding would lead to their early deaths, as their lives depended on social and auxiliary workers.
READ: DA approaches Human Rights Commission in Gauteng NPO debacle
In a statement released on Thursday, the social development department said:
"In his engagement with the sector, Premier Lesufi reiterated the importance of the sector as a key care economy enabler for the most vulnerable members of society, which includes children, the elderly, persons with disability and the poor."
Lesufi indicated that he would call an urgent meeting with the provincial budget committee to deal with the funding of the elevated priorities, so the NPO budget could be allocated to approved NPOs and those who complained as this was the root of the problem.
READ: Gauteng NPOs angered by alleged budget cuts, in favour of Lesufi’s priorities
The department has further committed to conduct an audit to investigate the large amounts of complaints and allegations of corruption that have plagued the department of social development and agriculture and rural development to ascertain whether it was receiving its true value of the R2.3 billion budgets of the sector.
"Government will convene a social sector summit to engage further on issues affecting both the department and the NPOs. As the provincial government, we commit to signing all the service level agreements by May 15 2023, and NPOs are requested to work together with the department in ensuring finalisation," said Hlophe.
City Press also reported that the DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for social development, Refiloe Nt'sekhe, laid a complaint to the Human Rights Commission against the provincial department of social development for violating the rights of NPOs.
