R1.4m boost for Buffalo City organisations

MORE than 100 organisations doing charity, HIV/Aids and arts and culture related work around the Buffalo City Metro are set to received a cash boost from a budget of more than R1.4-million.

The cash injection from the metro was part of 133 funding allocations approved by council just before the 2016-17 financial year ended in June.

Grants-in-aid committee chairwoman Luleka Simon Ndzele said if the money had not been spent or allocated, BCM would have lost all of it due to delays caused by last year’s local government elections that affected the allocation process.

The R1.4-million was allocated to organisations across the metro’s 50 wards, a first of its kind for the metro charitable, social and welfare organisations, HIV/Aids and home-based centres, early childhood development centres and arts and culture organisations.

However the council agreed that a verification process will have be to done to check the existence of the selected organisations before any money is transferred.

The Full Gospel daycare centre has been allocated R30 000, the East London Museum followed with a R20 000, the Ndevana Catholic daycare centre also received a R20 000 allocation. The East London SPCA was allocated R10 000 and the Balasi HIV/Aids community workers will get R15 000.

The funds will be used to provide proper infrastructure and for the smooth running of the organisations’ daily operations.

Although BCM received 271 applications in the last financial year, the metro only approved and allocated funds to 133 organisations.

Simon Ndzele said: “For the first time this year the budget has been allocated across the 50 wards so that all the communities can benefit somehow. In the past, these organisations used to get R3 000 or R5 000 allocations but we decided to change that because that money had no impact.”

Although the funds have already been allocated, the organisation are yet to receive the money as BCM is currently busy with the verification process to make sure the funds do not go to “ghost organisations”.

“The organisations will receive the money once the verification process is complete. We are planning to have an event in August where we will hand over cheques to the different organisations.”

The DA’s councillor Sue Bentley said the party fully supported the initiative.

“We just wish there could be more money to give to those who did not make it this year,” said Bentley.

Simon-Ndzele said limited funding was a challenge as not all applicants were allocated funding. —