New unit to strengthen ties between Bhisho, NPOs

EASTERN Cape social development has created a new directorate to deal specifically with non-profit organisations.

The newly-created unit will review the NPO funding models used by the department, which are said to be unsustainable.

Social development spokesman Gcobani Maswana said the directorate was created as a result of the closure of a number of NPOs due to financial strain.

He said the newly-formed unit would closely monitor the running and management of NPOs in the province.

“NPOs play a major role in trying to resolve the challenges and inequalities prevalent in South African society but they are facing a future with increasingly limited funding and support within a fragile economy. Currently many NPOs rely on government for their funding and stability. This over-reliance cannot be sustainable – government must mobilise resources from the various roleplayers and this will be the new directorate’s focus,” said Maswana.

The announcement of the unit comes just months after one of the biggest NPOs in the province announced they would have to close shop due to the department’s budget cuts.

East London Child Welfare (ELCW) closed shop and their cases were shared among similar NPOs around the province.

It was forced to retrench all its social workers after the provincial social development department cut its annual budget from R2.2-million in the last financial year to just R235 000 from April 1 last year.

The NPO celebrated its 100th year in 2016 and had been a lifeline for more than 3 000 abused children and rape victims from 23 service areas in the Buffalo City Metro.

Maswana said NPOs have been working to support weak or failing government services.

He said it was essential that they be kept alive to do their good work, but there was a huge responsibility on the government to ensure that the money it had budgeted to channel through NPOs was used responsibly and spread as far and wide as it could be.