Needy children face calamity after subsidies go unpaid to NGOs

THOUSANDS of Gauteng’s most vulnerable children, the elderly and people with disabilities are facing a “calamity” because the provincial government has failed to pay overdue subsidies to the NGOs who care for them.

“The children at our three residential facilities are unsure whether they’ll have hot water tonight or food to eat tomorrow,” said Gert Jonker, the chief executive of the Bethany House Trust in Krugersdorp, yesterday.

Jonker explained that the NGOs are paid in three-month tranches by the Gauteng Department of Social Development, which covers operational costs and pays staff salaries. But these were not paid for April because of delays in signing service level agreements between NGOs and the department.

This was because of the recent crippling national strike by social workers.

“I’m not sure if we’ll have care workers to look after our children this weekend because they can’t get to work…

“This non-payment is a calamity for our staff and beneficiaries.

“The social welfare network that supports them is at risk of collapse. There are 125 children’s homes in the same position as we are caring for 5 000 children.”

During the six-week protest, striking state social workers had “locked children up and placed their lives at risk”, he said.

“The government brought those children to us because their own people left them, but they didn’t even pay us for the six weeks we looked after the children.

“Beneficiaries were held hostage in buildings, but there’s been no action against those social workers. All their salar- ies were paid with the increases they went on strike for but we have to beg, borrow and steal to keep up. “That’s the real crisis. “If we speak out we run the risk of being victimised by the government – we’re supposed to be partners in welfare services delivery but we’re treated like slaves.”

The department pledged that all NGOs receiving government funding to render essential welfare services would be paid last week and that the funds would reflect in their bank accounts.

But nothing has appeared thus far.

“Although the department has indicated they’re doing manual payments, we’ve had no confirmation the payment has actually been effected.

“We can’t render services, pay our bills, get fuel to get our social workers to court or take our children to school.”

The department did not respond yesterday.