Bid to end nonprofit bodies’ funds crisis

OUTRAGE over budget cuts to nonprofit organisations, some of which officially closed this week and some of their employees lost their jobs, has forced the Department of Social Development to come to its senses and negotiate with them.

Social Development MEC Nancy Sihlwayi’s spokesman Mzukisi Solani announced yesterday that a meeting would be held with all the affected NPOs on Monday to find an amicable solution to the funding shortage crisis.

This follows budget cuts for NPOs such as East London Child Welfare, whose budget was reduced from R2.3-million to R253 000 effectively from April.

This forced the centre to retrench all 12 social workers this week and close its Southernwood centre until an organogram which accommodates the budget cuts is adopted.

Several Port Elizabeth organisations, including Mental Health and the South African National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (Sanca), have also been hit.

Other NPOs affected by the budget cuts are Childline and Child Welfare King William’s Town.

Childline, which is also based in Southernwood, has been left with two social workers after retrenching a third full-time social worker.

Solani said: “The department is committed to finding an amicable solution.

“It will hold further engagements with the organised formations.”

He said the cuts were also as a result of a 2% (provincial) budget cut, “which impacted negatively on the operational budget as well as funding for services rendered by NPOs”.

It is unclear what will happen with the cases which the police Thuthuzela centres regularly refer to Childline for support when dealing with child abuse cases, if no solution is found on Monday.